Even Musician Flea Got Overprescribed OxyContin
The opioid crisis in the United States is so out of control that people seem to come out of the woodwork every day and talk about their experiences with opioids, being overprescribed drugs like Vicodin and OxyContin, and the fallout that may or may not have ensued as a result of them taking the drugs. Flea, the notorious bassist for the Red Hot Chili Peppers recently went on record with Rolling Stone magazine, offering a fresh perspective on the drug epidemic and what he personally went through, as a result of choosing to take drugs at one point in his life.
Flea, the charismatic and sometimes strange bassist of one of the hottest bands of the 90’s is no stranger to drugs. He grew up with addiction all around him and even lost some of his friends to drugs at an early age. Eventually finding himself in a world of drugs and debauchery and seeing that his own survival was at stake, he decided to clean up and get sober. He made this decision in 1993, because “…drugs were destructive and robbing my life force. I cut them out forever. Temptation is a bitch though.” Flea continued on in his interview, stating that he has tools to get through his problems and deal with his issues, regardless of the fact that he knows he could “solve” everything with $50 and a trip to the dope man.
“…drugs were destructive and robbing my life force. I cut them out forever. Temptation is a bitch though.”
Unfortunately, Flea is no stranger to OxyContin, thanks to an injury he sustained during a snowboarding accident. He broke his arm and had to have major surgery. After a successful operation, he went home with a 2-month supply of OxyContin with instructions to take 4 each day. Flea said, “I was high as hell when I took those things. It not only quelled my physical pain but all my emotions as well. I only took one a day, but I was not present for my kids, my creative spirit went into decline and I became depressed.”
Flea stopped taking the medication even though he knew he could easily get a refill. Despite being drawn into taking opioids, like many Americans do, Flea did offer a very cool point of view on how to start handling the problem. He said, “It’s also equally obvious that part of any opioid prescription should include follow-up, monitoring and a clear solution and path to rehabilitation if anyone becomes addicted. Big pharma could pay for this with a percentage of their huge profits.”
And I totally agree with that. I think the pharmaceutical giants should put some funding into drug treatment, prevention, and rehabilitation since they’re the ones helping to create all this in the first place. It would be nice for them to step up and take some responsibility for what’s going on and help those who become addicted and harmed as a result of taking their products.
