New York, NY (1888PressRelease)
March 21, 2008 - We’ve come a long way from Bill Clinton’s “I didn’t inhale” days—now, it’s acceptable, and maybe even expected, for a presidential candidate to be honest and open about drug use in his past.
Democratic presidential hopeful Barack Obama has admitted that he smoked marijuana—and inhaled—when he was a kid. In his book Dreams From My Father, he also spoke of using alcohol and cocaine in his youth. A stunning but refreshingly honest admission? Or further proof that no one is immune to the pressure to use illicit drugs?
Stephen Della Valle, author of the new addiction and recovery memoir Rising Above the Influence, offers a third choice: “It’s all for the votes. Obama’s openness about his previous drug use makes him look more human, and more honest. There’s no sense of him trying to evade the issue to cover up what he’s done. There are a lot of people who will appreciate that, and overlook his illicit behavior.”
But not everyone will. Opponent Hillary Clinton’s camp has already picked up this ball and run with it, targeting Obama for his indiscretions—but then backing off when criticized themselves for even mentioning it.
But Obama is not alone in his past indiscretions. Many presidents and VPs have had their own addiction demons to battle:
· George W. Bush has talked openly about his past alcohol addiction—but has been evasive when questioned about his drug use
· Bill Clinton admitted to using marijuana, but claimed that he did not inhale while smoking it
· Richard Nixon was rumored to have abused the prescription drug Dilantin
· Former vice president Al Gore admitted to using marijuana “a few times,” but friends assert that he smoked up three to four times a week while in college
· Former vice president Dan Quayle allegedly experimented with drugs in college—including, rumor has it, LSD
“As a former addict,” says Mr. Della Valle, “I believe that everyone deserves a second chance—even someone running for president. But at the same time, is Obama’s admission giving Americans the message that it’s okay to abuse drugs and alcohol? That you can pursue that lifestyle and still become president of the United States?”
Unfortunately, it may be. “With an estimated 20.4 million people in the US addicted to illegal drugs today, that’s a dangerous message to put out there,” Mr. Della Valle notes.
Stephen Della Valle is president of the board of directors at Turning Point rehabilitation center in Verona, New Jersey. Currently celebrating twenty years of sobriety, he lives in Oak Ridge, New Jersey, with his wife, Donna. He has three children.
Rising Above the Influence is available now (ISBN: 0-9801776-0-X; softcover; Oak Ridge Press) on Amazon.com, Borders.com, BarnesandNoble.com, and at fine bookstores everywhere.
