Red Hot Chili Peppers bassist Flea’s "creative spirit went into decline" when he was on prescription pain medication.
The 55-year-old musician – whose real name is Michael Balzary – broke his arm while he was snowboarding and his doctor gave him a two-month prescription of Oxycontin for the pain after he underwent surgery, but Flea has complained the drug made him depressed at the same time as easing his pain.
In an opinion piece for Time Magazine, the bass player spoke out on America’s opioid crisis and said: "Many who are suffering today were introduced to drugs through their healthcare providers. When I was a kid, my doctor would give me a butterscotch candy after a check-up. Now, they’re handing out scripts. It’s hard to beat temptation when the person supplying you has a fancy job and credentials and it’s usually bad advice not to trust them.
"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 ended up only taking the pills for one month but revealed he could have easily had the prescription topped up.
He said: "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."
Flea’s comments come after the late Tom Petty’s wife and daughter, Dana and Adria, both took to Facebook to vocalise their hopes that his death at the age of 66 from an accidental overdose of prescription painkillers, sedatives and an antidepressant will spark a conversation about opioid abuse in the US.
Red Hot Chili Peppers bassist Flea was depressed taking prescription drugs
