Travis Barker opens up about precancer diagnosis that forced him to quit smoking weed
Blink-182 drummer Travis Barker has revealed the frightening health scare that finally convinced him to give up smoking weed after years of heavy use.
During an appearance on the Big Bro with Kid Cudi podcast on Wednesday (11 Nov), the 50-year-old musician opened up about being diagnosed with precancerous changes in his oesophagus.
Discussing his decision to embrace sobriety, Barker admitted that receiving the diagnosis was the turning point that made him realise he needed to change his lifestyle.
"I only quit because I got diagnosed with precancer of the esophagus," he explained, before admitting that he had previously struggled to control his marijuana consumption.
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"I loved blunts and I would smoke too much," he added.
The drummer revealed that he had been smoking between 10 and 15 blunts a day and had never seriously considered giving up the habit until his doctor delivered the worrying news.
Recalling the conversation, Barker explained that he had asked his doctor whether the diagnosis was serious, only to receive a stark warning about the potential consequences of continuing to smoke.
"He’s like, 'This is your warning shot. Don’t f**k around. You’ve got to stop smoking'," the rock star continued.
Barker admitted that without the frightening health discovery, he probably would never have given up marijuana, revealing that he had previously imagined himself continuing the habit well into old age, much like country music legend Willie Nelson.
Despite making the decision to quit, the musician confessed that he still misses smoking weed.
However, he has since found another way to manage his cravings, revealing that running has become an increasingly important part of his daily routine.
"I've found even however many years later now, 20 years later, couple miles a day keeps the demons away," Barker explained. "My running started getting bigger and more important to me than smoking."
The star credited exercise with helping him overcome his previous addiction to prescription painkillers and opioids, explaining that completing long-distance runs would be considerably harder while taking drugs.
His journey towards sobriety has been shaped by several difficult experiences, including the devastating 2008 plane crash that killed four people and left him with life-threatening injuries.
Previously reflecting on the tragedy in an interview with Men's Health, Barker described surviving the crash as his rehabilitation.
"People are always like, 'Did you go to rehab?'. And I [say], 'No, I was in a plane crash.' That was my rehab," he went on. "Lose three of your friends and almost die? That was my wake-up call.
"If I wasn’t in a crash, I would have probably never quit."
Rhianna Benson
