Speaking only for myself, in a half-century of living, I've taken codeine for assorted broken bones, abcessed teeth, and a variety of other injuries, and the stuff just makes me feel slow and stupid.
You may recall that right before 9-11, the usual suspects in the Jackal Pack Press were trying to paint oxycontin as the new Demon Drug-- there were stories of crazed codeine-heads driving maniacally all night through trailer parks to get their fix.
I though it was a pile of garbage, and still do.
YES, and I also remember Rush devoting some time to the topic on one show. He didn't appear to know much about Oxycontin then at all! I recall that he seemed surprised when one caller, who had been on the drug for some time, said it didn't have a narcotic effect on her because of the degree of her pain.
I suppose Rush emailed his dealer right after that show and said "I must try some of that Oxycontin, my listeners are raving about it. Please provide appropriate code word for same!". /sarcasm
Seriously, if he was using black-market Oxycontin at that point in time, wouldn't you think he'd *avoid* that as a show topic? And avoid it like the fricking plague?