President Bush Talks About His Drinking Days
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President George Bush has not been afraid to make mention of his past struggles with alcohol. Earlier this week, he spoke about it again and called on teens to make the same kind of choice he made when it came to fighting drug addiction.
The president told ABC News during a tour of the White House:
I doubt I’d be standing here if I hadn’t quit drinking whiskey, and beer and wine and all that
The President’s past made headlines during the 2000 presidential election when it was made public that he was arrested and his driving license was suspended for
two years at age 30 for driving under the influence of alcohol near his family’s summer home in Kennebunkport, Maine.
President Bush said in the interview:
Alcohol can compete with your affections. It sure did in my case - affections with your family, or affections for exercise. It was the competition that I decided just wasn’t worth it. I had too much to drink one night, and the next day I decided to quit and I haven’t had a drink since 1986.
During his 2000 presidential campaign, President Bush said that gave up drinking after a drunken night celebrating his 40th birthday. He said the change was
largely due to his religious conversion after meeting Rev. Billy Graham.
The President said that he wants other people struggling with alcohol or drug addiction to know that they are not alone. Whether you are a celebrity, public official or not - seeking help from an addiction recovery center is a strong first step
towards gaining control again.
It is kind of odd to have a president that has dealt with addiction problems. Not sure how I feel about it but it does give him a human quality. Hopefully, others can use him as an example and learn from his mistakes.