George W. Bush alcoholism and drug use quotes (INFOGRAPHIC)

Was G.W. an alcoholic or drug user?

Take him at his word with this infographic.

Reference Sources:

1. I’ve told people I’ve learned from my mistakes and I have. And I’m going to leave it at that.

11 May and 7 June, 1999, The Washington Post, p.A20, Available at: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/politics/campaigns/wh2000/stories/bushtext072599.htm [Accessed 6/2/2014]

2. To put it in spiritual terms, I accepted Christ. What influenced me was the spirituality, sure, which led me to believe that if you change your heart, you can change your behavior.

3. Yes, sometimes I would go to a party and drink too much. No, I would not drink too much on a daily basis. I never drank during the day.

4. Q. Why did you quit drinking?

A. A couple of things happened. One, you know, the Billy Graham visit in 1985. I met with Billy, but it’s like a mustard seed. You know, he planted a seed in my heart and I began to change. . . . I realized that alcohol was beginning to crowd out my energies and could crowd, eventually, my affections for other people.

5. I’m not going to talk about what I did years ago. This is a game where they float rumors, force a person to fight off a rumor; then they’ll float another rumor. And I’m not going to participate. I saw what happened to my dad with rumors in Washington. I made mistakes. I’ve asked people to not let the rumors get in the way of the facts. I’ve told people I’ve learned from my mistakes – and I have. And I’m going to leave it at that.

6. There’s never a statute of limitations evidently. Particularly when people are spreading gossip and rumors.

7. I didn’t, but I’m one of those that – I don’t think I was clinically an alcoholic; I didn’t have the genuine addiction. I don’t know why I drank. I liked to drink, I guess.

8. Well, then others can address the rumors about me. But this is a decision I made during the course of the campaign, and if it’s not this, there’ll be some other rumor floating. And I’m not going to participate. That’s the Washington, D.C., game – how you destroy a good person.

9. I’m saying I’m not going to talk about what I did in the past. What I did 20 to 30 years ago, in my judgment, is irrelevant. What matters is who I am today.

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About the author

Lee Weber

Lee Weber is a published author, medical writer, and woman in long-term recovery from addiction. Her latest book, The Definitive Guide to Addiction Interventions is set to reach university bookstores in early 2019.