Pubdate: Thu, 21 Aug 2014
Source: Toronto Sun (CN ON)
Copyright: 2014 Canoe Limited Partnership
Contact: http://www.torontosun.com/letter-to-editor
Website: http://torontosun.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/457
Author: Don Peat
Page: 5
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/testing.htm (Drug Testing)

MAYOR WILLING - IF EVERYONE ELSE IS

TORONTO - Mayor Rob Ford says he'll be the first mayoral candidate to 
take a drug test - if all his rivals do it too.

Ford - who on Wednesday swore he's still clean and sober - made the 
comments in the wake of mayoral candidate Sarah Thomson calling on 
everyone in the mayor's race to submit to drug and alcohol tests and 
make the results public.

Thomson released the results of her test - taken Aug. 12 - showing 
she didn't have any drugs in her system.

"I often get asked if I do drugs, and I wanted to assure all Toronto 
residents that I do not have any alcohol or addiction issues," 
Thomson said in a statement. "I think it is important for the people 
of Toronto to know if their future mayor might have issues that could 
severely impact our public image as a world-class city."

Ford - who has admitted to smoking crack cocaine and spent two months 
in rehab - said he's open to doing a drug test.

"If I do it, everyone does it," Ford said. "I'll tell you right now, 
I have not touched drugs or alcohol in months.

"Since I got out of rehab ... I'm as clean as a whistle."

The mayor - who denied his drug and alcohol use for months before 
finally admitted to it - argued all candidates should be treated equally.

"Why should I be any different than any other elected member of 
council?" he asked.

When a reporter pointed out he's admitted to smoking crack, Ford shrugged.

"I'm the only one that has admitted to it," he said.

"People know that I do not touch alcohol, I do not do drugs and I'll 
be the first to do (a drug test) if everyone else does it."

Supriya Dwivedi, of the David Soknacki campaign, stressed her 
candidate doesn't do drugs and "doesn't drink any more than the 
occasional glass of wine with dinner."
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom