Rob Ford Can’t Guarantee Sobriety If Re-Elected

Troubled Mayor Rob Ford returned to City Council after two months of rehab last week, but his battle for sobriety isn’t over. He said in a radio interview that he can’t promise to stay away from the substances that made him a household name in the United States.

The revelation came during an interview where he said he can’t make promises to stay away from a problem that he has no control over.

The interview happened with Newstalk 1010, according to the Detroit Free Press, where the radio DJ Jerry Agar said that as someone who had previously supported Ford said he’s not sure if he can “take another four-year shot on Rob Ford” if Ford can’t promise to stay sober.

Ford said that’s a decision that Agar and everyone else will have to make when it comes time to vote in October.

“That’s up to you. You’re going to have to look at my record and compare it to the people I’m running (against) and you’re basically going to have to trust me.”

In an attempt to reassure everyone that he’s well enough to lead again, and run for re-election, he said his job responsibilities won’t affect his road to recovery.

In an earlier interview, according to the Christian Science Monitor, Ford said he’s used pretty much every drug there is including marijuana, cocaine, hallucinogenic mushrooms, but not heroin.

“You name it, I’ve abused it,” Ford said, and also confessed to smoking crack in the past, but insists he’s not addicted to it.

If a time came when he started using again Ford refused to answer whether or not it would be followed by his resignation from office, but said he is taking his recovery very slowly.

“I’m taking it one day at a time,” Ford said.”I did not drink yesterday, I haven’t drunk today.”

Ford announced that he was going into rehab towards the end of last April, according to the Detroit Free Press, to seek help for his addiction to alcohol after video of him smoking from a crack pipe, among others, surfaced on the Internet. He blamed his racist and homophobic remarks made in some of the videos on the drugs he was abusing at the time.

“I can’t even imagine using that terminology,” he said.

When Tom Gabriel of the Canadian Addiction Counsellors Certification Federation was asked about an addict like Ford’s road to recovery, he told Yahoo Canada News that there will be things to adjust to.

“They’ve got to deal with life on its terms without their substance of choice. Hopefully when they return from rehab, they should have a plan before they leave,” Gabriel explained. “And it’s about sticking with that plan and sticking with a plan that is particular to their needs.”

While voting has yet to begin, it was clear at last Tuesday’s Canada Day festivities that he has his work cut out for him as the Christian Science Monitor reports that Ford was met with both cheers and people who were not too happy to see him.

[Image via West Annex News]