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.

[Xenalyte]

You're a Trekkie? Okay, now I have you figured out. If you didn't live with your mom, you might have a more balanced, complete worldview.

Trekkies are not sexy.

[Xenalyte]

I'm not arguing that. SA is.

[eyespysomething]

Lugsoul!
The correct order is coffee then Redbull then crank. How are you going to do it right if you don't know the order!!





lol

[Xenalyte]

Apparently he's a Trekkie. That explains a lot, eh?

[ActionNewsBill]

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

How do you figure?

Must have been the "don't drop the soap in the shower" joke you made earlier.

But don't worry, when you get busted for some petty ordinance and get tossed in jail, I'm sure the joke will be real funny then.

[presidio9]

So which is it? Is Ozzy always wrong or not?

[presidio9]

No, I'm not a Trekkie. I'm mocking YOU. remember that "sarcasm" thing?

[A CA Guy]

The idea is that possession of the substance is the crime and if found in the car or home, it becomes forfeited.

[presidio9]

Hey, I told him NOT to drop the soap. That's no endorsement.

[eyespysomething]

Is anybody always wrong? (with the exception of most liberals and Democrats, but I bet they know their cell phone numbers, so that'll be right)

Jeesh, let's bump this to let more people read facts and see the lame excuses of woddies.

[mvpel]

It's fun to watch it come all the way around again, isn't it. They talk about "logic," and their sacred mantra is "alcohol is bad, legalize pot!" How goofy is that?

Notice how you are more than happy to throw down with the phrase, "alcohol is bad, legalize pot," while completely evading the real argument being posed here, "prohibition is bad, legalize pot."

[presidio9]

Please provide evidence supporting this.

[Last Visible Dog]

It's fun to watch it come all the way around again, isn't it. They talk about "logic," and their sacred mantra is "alcohol is bad, legalize pot!" How goofy is that?

I guess that means you DO NOT strive for consistency. The angle is “alcohol is much worse than pot, so why don’t you apply the same logic and outlaw alcohol”.

I guess when the hypocrisy of your position is exposed, it makes you a little uncomfortable?

[eyespysomething]

read this again:

4. During a 10-month national survey, it was discovered that 80% of people who had property forfeited were never charged with a crime.
Source: Schneider, A. & Flaherty, M.P., "Presumed Guilty: The Law's Victims in the War on Drugs," The Pittsburgh Press, (1991, August 11).



Now, tell me again how this is ok with you.

[presidio9]

Nope, it is you stoners who keep throwing out illegal pot is bad bacause legal alcohol is bad. Talk about logic...

[mvpel]

For you, maybe. There are some who use heroine responsibly too. So what?

Those who attempt to use heroine will feel the sting of cold, hard steel!

[RockyMtnMan]

These all happen more with your pro-addiction stance.

I imagine initial drug use would rise until corporations began routine drug tests. Currently there is no incentive for companies to do this routinely but if drugs were legal it prod them into doing it. Then many people would think twice about using drugs if they knew they could not be employed. You do realize most violient crime related to drugs is over turf for the pushers? Drug users themselves are seldom violent, especially pot users.

[ActionNewsBill]

"Everytime he opens his mouth, he substracts from the sum total of human knowledge."

Ha Ha...that's a good one, you betcha!

Personally one of my favorite quotes could easily be applied to any of yours and presidio's posts:

"What you've just said is one of the most insanely idiotic things I have ever heard. At no point in your rambling, incoherent response were you even close to anything that could be considered a rational thought.

Everyone in this room is now dumber for having listened to it. I award you no points, and may God have mercy on your soul.

A more apt description of your so-called debating technique I have been unable to locate.

[presidio9]

Again: The logic is "alcohol is bad, so we need to legalize pot." get it right.

[A CA Guy]

Clifford A. Schaffer appears to only be some drug activists, how does that in any way give validity to that comment you made to me"
He appears to be just another drug misfit!