The eccentric bassist of the Red Hot Chili Peppers laid bare his struggles with addiction in an opinion piece he wrote for TIME called “The Temptation of Drugs Is a Bitch”.

An apt title in many ways, Flea went on to attack the prescription of the controversial opioid painkiller OxyContin.

You know, the stuff that has led America into the midst of a massive epidemic.

Born Michael Balzary, Flea explained that he began toking at the age of 11, before he “proceeded to snort, shoot, pop, smoke, drop and dragon chase my way through my teens and 20s”:

I saw three of my dearest friends die from drugs before they turned 26, and had some close calls myself. It was a powerful yearning to be a good father that eventually inspired a sense of self-preservation, and in 1993 at the age of 30 I finally got that drugs were destructive and robbing my life force. I cut them out forever.

But then, following a surgery for a broken arm after a snowboarding accident, Flea was prescribed OxyContin:

The bottle said to take four each day. 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. I stopped taking them after a month, but I could have easily gotten another refill.

Perfectly sane people become addicted to these medications and end up dead. Lawyers, plumbers, philosophers, celebrities — addiction doesn’t care who you are.

There is obviously a time when painkillers should be prescribed, but medical professions should be more discerning. 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.

The piece was published as a part of TIME’s “The Opioid Diaries”, a visual record of a national emergency and a call to action.

According to The Guardian, the opiate painkiller OxyContin is manufactured by Purdue Pharma, who made an estimated $1,8 billion (R21,2 billion) from sales of the drug last year.

However, opioids are the leading cause of death among under-50s in the US, and have recently claimed high-profile lives in the music industry like Prince, Tom Petty and rapper Lil Peep:

Some 14 US states are suing the company for its role in the opioid crisis, described as a “public health emergency” by Donald Trump – the company is accused of aggressive and misleading marketing. Purdue has responded by halving its salesforce and promising it “will no longer be promoting opioids to prescribers”.

Flea’s piece, which is a relatable inside look at the opioid crisis as well as a person’s relationship with addiction, ends with this gem:

Life hurts. The world is scary and it’s easier to take drugs than work through pain, anxiety, injustice and disappointment.

But by starting with gratitude for the rough times, and valuing the lessons of our difficulties, we’ve got the opportunity to rise above them and be healthier and happier individuals who live above the strong temptation of addiction.

Read his full piece here.

[source:time&theguardian]