Crack shame mayor in rehab

Toronto mayor Rob Ford decided not to try to enter the US shortly after flying to Chicago last Thursday, hours after saying he would take a leave of absence from his job to seek treatment for an alcohol problem.

Canada’s consul general in Chicago, Roy Norton, told the Globe and Mail newspaper that Ford “voluntarily withdrew” an application to enter the US after landing in Chicago, and “was not denied entry, per se”.

Ford’s decision to enter treatment came nearly a year after reports first surfaced that he had been caught on video smoking crack cocaine. He has since admitted to smoking crack, buying illegal drugs, and driving after drinking.

Ford’s criminal lawyer, Dennis Morris, yesterday said the mayor was in treatment. On whether Ford had turned back from Chicago, Morris said: “I’m not going to comment about anything that I don’t know.”

Asked whether he had spoken to the mayor directly about going into treatment, Morris said: “I’m not going into detail, but I can assure you he is.”

Travellers can be refused entry to the US for a number of reasons, including some criminal convictions. But Ford has not been charged in connection with his recent admissions, and has crossed the border since the scandal made headlines around the world. He visited Los Angeles in March, for example.

Ford’s current whereabouts are not public knowledge.