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.

[presidio9]

If you two start talking dirty to one another, I am so out of here.

Promise?

[RockyMtnMan]

I guess unacceptable behaivor to me wouldn't include Joe pothead smokin a dubie in his basement or Molly meth user ODing with him. To me assaulting the constitution in the name of protecting dips*** Joe and dumb a** Molly is unacceptable.

[lugsoul]

Man, that's clever. Did you make that up? Let me write that one down... "you are the weakest link" There.

What's next - gonna tell me to extinguish my torch?

[presidio9]

Quick: Think of a "yo mamma so fat" joke.

[ActionNewsBill]

I know that you are upset that you anti-woddies are losing the argument badly, but hey get over it.

If you think that you and presidio are winning the argument, you are as hopelessly deluded as he is.

You have brought a water pistol to a gunfight here.

You are both just too stupid to realize that you are seriesly outmatched.

My cat could out debate you two.

[AxelPaulsenJr]

Hey Axel, aren't you gonna chastise your b-buddy presidio about his language?

The only foul words being spoken in this thread are coming from your playpen.

[A CA Guy]

Here is where you will throw away your logic to deny the following along with all the other pro-addiction crowd.

You say, OK, just let them kill themselves then.

#1 The cost to the employer due to theft, mistakes, damage, lawsuits, accidents and violence in the workplace.
#2 The fallout to all family around them to violence, criminality to support the habit, theft, emotional costs.
#3 Societal costs in Emergency Rooms, medical care to their victims, hospitalization of addicts and so on.

Drugs are a lose lose.

OK, go on with your expected denial, because you want what you want no matter what.

[lugsoul]

Note to Axel. Learn to recognize sarcasm.

[presidio9]

Riiight... but I'm not allowed to make sarcastic referrences to your drug use. It's a two-way street princess.

[Xenalyte]

Show me one person who has ever died from marijuana.

I'll wait.

[lugsoul]

Why would I talk about your momma? You are such an easy target.

[Xenalyte]

Hold up - don't actually show me the dead person. That would be nasty. Just a case study would do it.

[AxelPaulsenJr]

You are both just too stupid to realize that you are (seriesly) outmatched.

Xena where are you when we need you?

[eyespysomething]

Those are all good points.

Now, tell me how the War on Drugs has stopped all that from happening.

[Xenalyte]

Who, me?

[presidio9]

No, I mean it. You think this is a put-down contest, but it isn't, and you're no good at it anyway.

[AxelPaulsenJr]

Note to lugsoul, do the same.

[ActionNewsBill]

This is the stupidest thread ever to appear on FR,

Only because of your repetitive and pointless posts.

Otherwise, it's not that bad.

[lugsoul]

Cool - I wasn't sure that s*** was worse than dangnabbit, but now you've confirmed it for me. Gotta keep my pseudo-profanity straight, ya know.

[ActionNewsBill]

Not only are you ignorant about marijuana, but you are also a big supporter of prison rape for pot users.