Rob Ford, Toronto’s Mayor, Takes Temporary Leave; Cites Problem with Alcohol

Toronto Mayor Rob Ford announced Wednesday he will temporarily be leaving office, citing his problem with alcohol, The New York Times reports. Last November, Ford admitted to using crack cocaine.

His announcement followed the release of a still photograph from a video that appears to show Ford smoking crack last weekend. Two reporters from The Globe and Mail saw the video by a “self-professed drug dealer,” who was trying to sell it.

A video surfaced almost a year ago showing Ford smoking crack. When he admitted using the drug, Ford suggested he had only done so once. Ford has acknowledged he has been drunk and out of control several times since then. He has denied repeatedly that he has used crack again.

In his statement this week, Ford did not mention crack or other illegal drugs. “I have a problem with alcohol, and the choices I have made while under the influence. I have struggled with this for some time,” he said. “I have tried to deal with these issues by myself over the past year. I know that I need professional help and I am now 100 percent committed to getting myself right.”