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.

[MrLeRoy]

"Alcohol use disorder (AUD) is the most common co-occurring disorder in people with schizophrenia."
Co-Occurring Alcohol Use Disorder and Schizophrenia
Robert E. Drake, M.D., Ph.D., and Kim T. Mueser, Ph.D.
Alcohol Research and Health, Volume 26, Number 2, 2002
http://www.niaaa.nih.gov/publications/arh26-2/99-102.pdf

[lugsoul]

"What did you put in your Red Bull this morning?"

crank? hillbilly heroin?

[A CA Guy]

The bottom line is if you back "vice" (such as illegal drug use) over just not doing drugs, you have a severe ethical problem that I don't associate with conservatism in any way.

If you are pro drugs, maybe the Green Party could be more up to your ethical standards! As it is the Libertarians as an example are bed fellows of the ACLU (HINT HINT), that should tell you something about what associates themselves with pro-drugs.
Liberals, misfits, criminals and socialists all love those drugs... That is another bottom line!

[Xenalyte]

I would refer you to the thread that Presidio9 is studiously ignoring.

[AxelPaulsenJr]

LOL, my apologies. I always wondered did Peter use the little girls room or the little boys room?

Not that it really mattered.

[Xenalyte]

Hillbilly Heroin would be a great name for a band!

[presidio9]

I do love it so, every time you make an assertion that is just so utterly, completely, objectively untrue.

They throw kids in jail for "posession" Mr. Ness.

But thanks for playing!

Don Pardo, show him what he's won!

bump

[toothless]

How about more beautiful women and less peter pan pics?

thx.

[MrLeRoy]

if you back "vice" (such as illegal drug use)

Who said he backs drug use? If I support the right to read Marxist literature, am I "backing" Marxist literature?

[Xenalyte]

I have a soft spot for Peter . . . I wrote my senior research paper and several college papers about him. Have you read the original real Barrie version? It's not a story I plan to read my kids.

[AxelPaulsenJr]

I believe that slick willie klintoon already holds the patent on that name.

[eyespysomething]

Less kids are doing drugs because they are illegal.

You didn't read my post #884 to you. One little snippet:
Federal surveys show an increase in use, especially by adolescents, since 1990

Tsk, tsk, you really should learn facts before you start spewing.

[presidio9]

The poster said they don't prosecute kids for underage sex. I pointed out that they do go after people for having sex with minors. But I'm glad to see you doing everything you can to get alcohol back into the argument.
I agree, alcohol is destructive. Please tell me how legalizing pot will make it less destructive.

[AxelPaulsenJr]

Have you read the original real Barrie version?

No I haven't. I will on your recomendation.

[Xenalyte]

That is a distinct possibility.

[toothless]

Not to mention ozzy's own words from the article:

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' ").

[Xenalyte]

Bet you'll like it - do let me know. It's a helluva story, especially if you can get the cartoon version out of your head. The only thing I collect (besides itinerant felines) is copies of Peter Pan.

[presidio9]

Riiiight... Makeing drugs less expensive and easier to obtain will lead to less kids using them. You people will believe anything!

[lugsoul]

And surely you are not going to claim that one who is smoking does not "possess" the drug, as far as the law is concerned? Well, maybe you are, since you are completely unfettered by the truth.

Next. Send in the acolyte who claims that pot was never legal.

[presidio9]

Riiight. People are being arrested for breaking the law. That's a bad thing on your planet I guess.