Toronto Mayor Admits Smoking Crack
Toronto Mayor Admits Smoking Crack
After months of denials, Toronto Mayor Rob Ford has admitted to smoking crack, in the latest chapter of a saga that puts the city’s residents in a place that seems all too familiar to loved ones of people struggling with alcohol or drugs.
In May, staffers from Gawker and the Toronto Star claimed to have seen a video of Ford smoking crack. For months, the mayor denied smoking crack and that any video existed. In October, Toronto police claimed to have the video. Now, in a brief press conference, Ford admitted to smoking crack cocaine “probably in one of my drunken stupors.”
The Canadian people and press have a good decade of Ford’s bad behavior behind them. Both the Toronto Star and the Globe and Mail have been keeping track of it. There have been repeated incidents of blunt language and poor choices, more disturbingly mixed with boorish behavior blamed on alcohol, bad driving and a 911call about a domestic situation. Just two days before the crack admission, on a radio show co-hosted with his brother, Ford promised to stop getting “hammered” in public and made a vague, general apology for mistakes. A caller later asked his brother to stop enabling Ford.
Ford’s crack admission included some grammatical parsing. He said in May he was asked “do you smoke?” which would not have the same answer as “have you smoked?” That situation may sound familiar to a lot of people. As do the words “Am I an addict? No.”
Denial, bargaining, promises to change have all been heard, along with people taking different sides. What’s support? What is tough love? It may be easier to watch the drama play out far away and with other players. Don’t let it be a part of your life any longer. Nothing will change until you make a move to change it. If you or are loved one are struggling with addiction, call Recovery Connection at 866-812-8231 and see how we can help you get the treatment you need.
