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]

Being paid to perform is pathetic? Tell that to the people who do community theater for free.

Your little attempts at insult aren't showing you in the best light.

[Xenalyte]

Nope - in Texas. Bet our mosquitoes could beat up your mosquitoes!

[MrLeRoy]

So, you do not believe that all 1500 posts will be read?

Red herring---your claim was, "They will on average only read the story". Provide evidence for your claim, or admit you got it by deep rectal extraction.

[Skywalk]

"we are left with logic."

Except that we aren't because you're still here.

[presidio9]

Apparently people who devote their lives to crappy D&D fantasy shows on cable TV have a very high tolerance for shame. I bet the drugs help.

[Xenalyte]

Ooooh, that one really stung.

[eyespysomething]

Let me fix this for you ;-)

You're little. attempts at insult aren't showing you in the best light.

[presidio9]

Tell that to the people who do community theater for free.

Sorry kiddo. What you are doing ain't "theatre" any more than a stripper is a "dancer."

[MrLeRoy]

Provide evidence that proves you "use no drugs."

Can't be done via the Internet, but come by and I'll pee in a cup for you.

[toothless]

And P9 claimed that nobody new was reading the thread. Woops!

[Xenalyte]

It's becoming quite tedious to explain your own words to you.

You said "performing for money is pathetic."

I said that you should take that stance in front of people who perform for free, who would love to be paid for doing something they enjoy.

I never claimed to be doing community theater, although I have done so in the past. The Texas Renaissance Festival is just this side of a Disney theme park.

I shall now proceed to ignore you, since you don't merit any more of my time and effort.

[presidio9]

Except that we aren't because you're still here.

(sigh)

Pothead logic: The way to combat the destructiveness of alcohol is by legalizing marijuana.

[presidio9]

You said "performing for money is pathetic."

Nope. Get back to me (or my mama) when you have your facts straight.

[presidio9]

And P9 claimed that nobody new was reading the thread. Woops!

Yep. I could FReepmail supporters in too, if I cared. I'm just looking to bump this article.

[presidio9]

I shall now proceed to ignore you, since you don't merit any more of my time and effort.

Promise?

[commonerX]

Maybe if you put the bottle down you would be about to really use what little brain you have. Alcoholic = Prisidio9

[presidio9]

Ooooh, that one really stung.

I thought it would. Better put some ice on that sweetheart.

[commonerX]

Oh yeah I forgot NEXT?

[presidio9]

Maybe if you put the bottle down you would be about to really use what little brain you have. Alcoholic = Prisidio9

Sorry, no booze. I get a natural high giving online wedgies to halfwits like yourself.

[headsonpikes]

"Provide evidence for your claim, or admit you got it by deep rectal extraction."

IMO, this should be the new standard form of your evidential requests.

The whole idea of having to support their Ministry of Truth propaganda handouts with actual facts is frightening to them.

In their duckspeaking circles, evidence is invented as required, and slogans only have to be supported by other slogans - that's sufficient for this lot.