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.

[AxelPaulsenJr]

Provide evidence that they will read all 1500 posts. And don't tell me that you will not do my homework for me. It is your challenge prove your point.

[presidio9]

Nothing like elevating the level of discourse.

Sorry, I went to a Renaissance festival last night and it made me a little goofy. I was pretending I was a third-level magic user. Afterwards we all smoked a bowl. You know how it is.

[MrLeRoy]

Nobody denies that alcohol is a mind altering substance, ok?

No, y'all just do your ungainly best to tap-dance around the fact.

We refer to the banned substances as "drugs" for lack of a better term.

"Illegal drugs" never crossed your mind?

[MrLeRoy]

Provide evidence that they will read all 1500 posts. And don't tell me that you will not do my homework for me. It is your challenge prove your point.

I made no claims---YOU did, so YOU need to provide evidence, or stand self-exposed as an ignorant blowhard.

[Xenalyte]

Liar. Number one, no festivals run on weeknights (except Pennsic), and number two, your mama wouldn't let you stay out that late.

[AxelPaulsenJr]

Wow! What a clever and original response! Did you think that one up all by yourself, or did you ask a three-year old to help you compose it?

What is it with you with personal insults?

In any case, you have once again proved that you have the edge over me in name calling, lack of debating ability, boorishness and complete irrelevance.

I added the period at the end of this sentence for you.

Too bad your intellectual stature remains on a level with boiled peas.

Well as they say, "It takes one to know one."

[eyespysomething]

yeah! you're back BUMP!

[toothless]

"or stand self-exposed as an ignorant blowhard."

I think we passed that point about 1200 posts ago.

[presidio9]

Right: The "illegal" part is implied for the purposes of this conversation. You guys are so pathetic. You have no convincing points to make, so you waste your time nitpicking on semantics. Here's a freebee: Every time I forgot to put "illegal" in front of "drugs" I was technically "wrong."

How did that feel?

Guess what? Pot is still just as illegal. You're doing something wrong I guess. But contiune to do so please. I am happy to keep bump-bumping away Leroy.

[MrLeRoy]

l as they say, "It takes one to know one."</> <pThis may impress your grammar-school buddies, but the grownups on FR are laughing at you.

[presidio9]

your mama wouldn't let you stay out that late.

Stick with the fantasy role-playing. You're no good at insults.

[AxelPaulsenJr]

I made no claims---YOU did, so YOU need to provide evidence, or stand self-exposed as an ignorant blowhard.

Liar, by inference your request to me to prove that no one reads all 1500 posts says that you believe that they do. Or why do you make the request if you believe it to not be so?

[MrLeRoy]

Pot is still just as illegal. You're doing something wrong I guess.

I use no drugs, including the deadly addictive drugs alcohol and tobacco.

[presidio9]

Please provide more "evidence." Are you not FAMILIAR with logic man?

[MrLeRoy]

your mama wouldn't let you stay out that late.

You're no good at insults.

Keep telling yourself that.

[Xenalyte]

For the record, it's not "fantasy role-playing." I'm paid to perform, much as someone wearing a Mickey Mouse suit at Disneyland.

[AxelPaulsenJr]

l as they say, "It takes one to know one."</>

No they are laughing at how you anti-woddies are helping us to keep a negative story about pot use constantly bumped to the top of the front page.

[Xenalyte]

Do you maintain that evidence is divorced from logic? No wonder we're not making any headway with you.

[Xenalyte]

1499

[Xenalyte]

1500! Woohoo!