Toronto mayor to seek help for drug abuse, says lawyer, as new crack cocaine video emerges
Rob Ford finally acknowledges has has a problem as a new video allegedly showing him smoking crack cocaine is seen by reporters
Toronto Mayor Rob Ford will take a leave of absence to seek help for substance abuse, his lawyer said on Wednesday, as a report surfaced about a second video of the mayor smoking what appears to be crack cocaine.
The Globe and Mail newspaper reported it had viewed a second video of Ford smoking what appeared to be crack cocaine in his sister’s basement. The national newspaper reported two Globe reporters viewed the video from a self-professed drug dealer showing Ford taking a drag from a pipe early on Saturday morning.
“He acknowledges he has a substance abuse problem and he wants to do something about it.”
The video is part “of a package of three videos the dealer said surreptitiously filmed around at 1.15am, and which he says he is now selling for ‘at least six figures,” the paper reported.
News reports of the existence of an earlier video of Ford apparently smoking crack first surfaced last May, igniting a media firestorm.
The latest tape report comes as Ford’s lawyer, Dennis Morris, said the mayor will take a leave of absence for substance abuse. Ford is seeking re-election in the October 27 vote.
Morris said he spoke to Ford earlier on Wednesday and said the mayor had accepted he has a problem.
“He acknowledges he has a substance abuse problem and he wants to do something about it,” Morris told reporters.