TORONTO — Toronto Mayor Rob Ford is doing what addiction specialist Dr. Drew Pinsky urged him to do five months ago — seeking treatment for substance abuse.
Ford’s lawyer Dennis Morris said Wednesday his client is taking a leave of absence to get help.
“He doesn’t deserve to be maligned,” said Pinsky, who’s best known as Dr. Drew, last November. “He deserves the opportunity to go get help and take care of his medical condition, not work for awhile — probably a month or so — and really get with this and get going.”
Pinsky, who has not met Ford, told Maurie Sherman of The Roz & Mocha Show on KiSS 92.5 that Ford’s repeated denials and refusals to comment about his drug and alcohol use are not surprising.
“The obfuscation he’s maintaining is almost funny,” said Pinsky. “What addicts always do when they’re not lying, they’re obfuscating. Denial is a defining feature of this condition.”
Ford admitted last November to having smoked crack cocaine but said at the time: “I am not an addict, nor do I do drugs.”
But Pinsky said people who smoke crack typically don’t do it only once. “It’s pretty uncommon,” he said. “It’s not a drug of recreation.”
The Globe and Mail reported Wednesday it viewed a video showing Ford smoking what appears to be crack cocaine early last Saturday.
Pinsky said the citizens of Toronto should not focus on what substances Ford has used.
“It shouldn’t concern you. What should concern you is he’s doing enough to need an opportunity to go get help. Don’t worry about the specifics.”
Pinsky suggested Ford has been in a lot of pain.
“I’m sure when he starts to look at the wreckage that his condition has caused it’s going to hurt even more.”
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