After spending the last two months in rehab, Toronto Mayor Rob Ford returned to City Hall on Monday, where he apologized to the people of the Toronto, promised to have ended his associations with certain bad influences, and declared that his commitment to "living clean is unwavering."
"Thanks to my treatment, I can proudly say today that I have begun the process of taking control of my life," Ford said at a news conference.
Ford said he underwent hundreds of hours of therapy at GreeneStone rehabilitation center in Ontario, where he "learned about things, like triggers, and what happens when you have uncontrollable cravings."
"I learned that my addiction is really a disease. A chronic medical condition that will require treatment for the rest of my life," Ford said.
An emotional Ford teared up as he apologized to his family for his past actions. He went on to thank the media for their privacy during his two-month stint at GreeneStone.
Ford ended the news conference, which was attended by about 20 handpicked members of the media (it was reported earlier Monday that Ford's administration was barring certain media outlets from covering the news conference), with a firm declaration that he would not bow out of his 2014 re-election campaign.
"I look forward to serving you for many, many more years," Ford said, before walking away from the podium without answering any questions.