Ozzy Says He Now Believes Pot Leads To Other Addictions

MTV ^ | 07.08.2003 | Robert Mancini, with reporting by Gideon Yago

[presidio9]

Ozzy Osbourne may have weathered the lowest lows that drug addiction has to offer, but the news that his son Jack was seeking treatment for substance abuse taught him a lesson that his own decades of addiction never did.

"I used to think they should legalize pot, but you know what? They should ban the lot," Osbourne told MTV News, addressing Jack's battle for the first time. "One thing leads to another. Coffee leads to Red Bull, Red Bull leads to crank.

"When I found out the full depth of him getting into OxyContin, which is like hillbilly heroin, I was shocked and stunned," Osbourne continued. "The thing that's amazing was how rapidly he went from smoking pot to doing hillbilly heroin."

Ozzy's son entered a California rehabilitation facility in April to battle what was later revealed to be an addiction to the prescription painkiller OxyContin (see "Jack Osbourne Reveals He Was Addicted To Painkiller OxyContin"). Jack also said that he was drinking and using a variety of substances — including Vicodin, Valium, Xanax, Dilaudid, Lorcet, Lortab, Percocet and marijuana — before his trip to rehab (see "Rehab Helps Jack Osbourne Get To Root Of Addiction Problems").

Jack's laundry list of controlled substances made his father painfully aware of just how readily available drugs are. "When I started doing drugs years ago, they were hard to get, but today it's everywhere," Osbourne said. "It's not just America. It's not just California. It's not just Beverly Hills. It's not just downtown New York. It's not just London. It's all over the world" (see "All About OxyContin, The Pills Known As 'Killers' ").

This relatively easy access to allegedly "controlled" substances is especially hard for Ozzy to swallow given his firsthand experience with the damage that drugs can do.

"I'm 55 years old, and I didn't get off scot-free," Osbourne explained. "I have to take medication for the rest of my life because I've done so much neurological damage to my body," Osbourne said.

We'll have much more from our interviews with Ozzy and Jack in an "MTV News Now" special report, premiering Tuesday at 11 p.m. ET/PT (Jack's complete interview will appear on MTVNews.com when the show premieres). The show will be followed the next day by a repeat of MTV News' "True Life: I'm Hooked on OxyContin" at 6:30 p.m.

[lugsoul]

We can bump this thread for weeks as far as I am concerned, so everyone can see that your posts have no credibility, no factual basis, and that you don't have the stones to even make an effort to support your argument.

By the way, anyone with a brain can see that, in your last post, you strongly imply that the drug war is actually successful. I'd love to see you try to defend that absolutely laughable idea, but I know you have neither the courage nor the facts to do so.

[AxelPaulsenJr]

Yes, and unlike you I will answer any question you want to put to me about it. Because I'm not ashamed of my true position and I have actually thought about the underlying issues. You on the other hand are completely unwilling to respond to any question asking you to explain your views. Obviously, because you can't.

You have totally missed the point of this thread. Drugs are bad. Just ask Ozzy.

[toothless]

"Jack's laundry list of controlled substances made his father painfully aware of just how readily available drugs are. "When I started doing drugs years ago, they were hard to get, but today it's everywhere," Osbourne said. "It's not just America. It's not just California. It's not just Beverly Hills. It's not just downtown New York. It's not just London. It's all over the world" (see "All About OxyContin, The Pills Known As 'Killers' "). "

Yes, prohibition is working!

lol.

[AxelPaulsenJr]

Hey, AXEL. I DARE YOU. I CHALLENGE YOU. POINT TO ANY STATEMENT I HAVE MADE THAT IS A "LIE."

Oh dude, that is too easy. Every time you open your mouth to claim that legalizing illegal drugs will be good for society.

[ActionNewsBill]

It's fun to duel with someone who just doesn't get it. LOL

You remind me of the Black Knight in "Monty Python and The Holy Grail."

He's lost both arms and legs in the duel and he refuses to give up.

"It's only a flesh wound!"

[lugsoul]

I've missed the point? That drug warriors love to tout the opinion of a guy who has addled his brain through the copious use of both LEGAL and ILLEGAL drugs, who uses his son's abuse of both LEGAL and ILLEGAL drugs to reach the conclusion that currently illegal drugs should remain illegal and currently legal drugs should remain legal, and that you think his expression of that view actually supports your identical view? Oh, yeah - I'm the one who's missed the point.

[AxelPaulsenJr]

And here is where you have your head:

[lugsoul]

Not only a liar but a shameless one. Making up words to put in my mouth, and then calling me a liar. You don't even have the guts to back up your own name-calling. You must've gotten your concept of the truth from your state's only President.

[lugsoul]

"Trying to encorporate legalized drugs into a conservative society is the height of stupidity."

You don't think we have legalized drugs? You can't be that stupid. Well, no, maybe you can. And are.

[AxelPaulsenJr]

You must've gotten your concept of the truth from your state's only President.

LOL, funny you should reference Klintoon. He was in fact an avid user of all sorts of illegal drugs.

[lugsoul]

And legal ones. Like Ozzy. And Jack.

[ActionNewsBill]

You need something, dude.

That is the kind of thinking that has led you to screw up your life to the point where you let chemistry dictate your happiness. I pity you.

Well if my life was screwed up, I wouldn't try to make excuses or let you try to run my life for me, which is exactly what you and Axel would like to see....government control of everyone's lives, from cradle to grave. After all, we don't want someone to have the freedom to "screw up their lives" now do we?

But since my life is not screwed up,and I do not "need" any chemical stimulation for my happiness, I'll just tell you and your other totalitarian brethren to politely sot off.

FYI, I am currently drug free, unless you count caffeine.

Actually when I said "you needed something", I was thinking more along the lines of a smack upside the head, or maybe you just need to get laid.

[lugsoul]

"FYI, I am currently drug free, unless you count caffeine."

He won't count that. See, in his mind, the only "drugs" are illegal drugs. I'd love to introduce him to a family friend of mine, who had been in and out of rehab and has never touched an illegal drug. But presidio doesn't like to bother with facts.

[ActionNewsBill]

There are MANY real libertarians that support the War on Drugs.

I will concede your assertion that libertarians (some) can be in favor of keeping drugs illegal, if you will admit that conservatives can be in favor of legalizing and regulating drugs.

[lugsoul]

Ya think presidio and Dane are the same person?

[RockyMtnMan]

Every time you open your mouth to claim that legalizing illegal drugs will be good for society.

Please identify how it will be any worse than alcohol. I'm not sure anyone is suggesting drug use itself will be better but the side effects to our liberties and reduction in drug related violence would be beneficial. Not to mention all the juicy law suites to be filed against drug suppliers, thereby making drugs an unprofitable business venture (profitable for lawyers).

[AxelPaulsenJr]

Please identify how it will be any worse than alcohol.

Don't know that it is, but alcohol is legal, pot is not.

I'm not sure anyone is suggesting drug use itself will be better but the side effects to our liberties and reduction in drug related violence would be beneficial.

Prove your claim.

Not to mention all the juicy law (suites) sp. to be filed against drug suppliers, thereby making drugs an unprofitable business venture (profitable for lawyers).

[lugsoul]

You are trying to use logic with someone who can't recognize it - and apparently has a bit of trouble with reading comprehension. See, if someone says, "There are negative consequences of the War on Drugs which are violative of our liberty and which are not even close to outweighed by any benefits it may have," he reads, "If we legalize drugs everyone will be blissfully happy and healthy and the sky will be brighter and the flowers will smell better and the kids will be smarter, etc., etc." Then he will call you a liar for saying what he reads, instead of what you say. And one who will call someone a liar without even making an effort to support the charge has no honor and no stones.

[MJM59]

Has Jack Osbourne ever done anything that could even remotely resemble a contribution to society???????

[AxelPaulsenJr]

You are trying to use logic with someone who can't recognize it - and apparently has a bit of trouble with reading comprehension. See, if someone says, "There are negative consequences of the War on Drugs which are violative of our liberty and which are not even close to outweighed by any benefits it may have," he reads, "If we legalize drugs everyone will be blissfully happy and healthy and the sky will be brighter and the flowers will smell better and the kids will be smarter, etc., etc." Then he will call you a liar for saying what he reads, instead of what you say. And one who will call someone a liar without even making an effort to support the charge has no honor and no stones.

Oh my, what incredibly twisted logic.

LOL