The Mayor of Toronto, Rob Ford, has been finally forced to admit that he has drug addiction after months of denial and, since Thursday, has taken a leave of absence to seek counselling. While addiction to illegal street narcotics is not to be taken lightly, Ford has been in denial for six months, ever since reports surfaced of a drug dealer trying to peddle a mobile phone video of the mayor of Canada’s largest city using crack cocaine.
Yes, denial is part and parcel of addiction, but all that Ford previously admitted to was using narcotics when he had imbibed too much alcohol.
Thursday’s announcement came only after another cellphone video emerged of the mayor apparently using crack cocaine at his drug-addict sister’s home in late April.
This Ford farce at Toronto City Hall has gone on for too long. The social drinking and anti-social behaviour of the mayor, his well-publicised appearances under the influence of one drug or another, and his loss of most powers of office have not deterred Ford from announcing that he will stand again as mayor when Toronto picks its new council in November. As mayor, Ford technically oversees the city’s police force. How can the chief of police act on street crime when the mayor admits using street drugs?
Toronto’s property taxes are too high, its public transport underdeveloped and its mayor is a druggie. It is not rocket science to figure out which needs to change first.
