Former boxer tells kids to say ‘no’ to drugs

Canadian boxing legend George Chuvalo brought his anti-drug message to about 250 youth at the Couchiching Bingo Palace yesterday .
Chuvalo has fought in 97 fights against the likes of Mohammed Ali, Joe Frazier, and Floyd Paterson. Now, at age 61, he is still battling to teach children about the consequences of drug use.
He knows all too well what can happen when people become addicted to drugs. Chuvalo, a father of five, has lost three sons and his wife through heroin related deaths.
His youngest son, Jesse, shot himself in the living room of their Toronto home after shooting up. His wife committed suicide four days after another son, George Lee, was found dead in a hotel room with a heroin needle still in his arm.
“Taking drugs is so cool it’s cold blooded. It’s a killer,” Chuvalo told the youth. “You can’t be a drug addict and be happy.”
Chuvalo has spoken to 307 groups and Couchiching brought him in to increase drug awareness before the summer break. His message is about love, and making good decisions when you’re young.
“If you love yourself and care about yourself, you’ll make good decisions and you’ll stay in school,” he said.
“Without love in your life, you simply cannot make good decisions,” he stressed. “When my grandchildren put their arms around me and tell me they love me, I feel like $20 million (U.S.).”
Some youths heard the message but remained unconvinced, an example of what Chuvalo is up against.
“If it’s there I’ll take it. If I said ‘no’ I’d be [lying to] you,” said one 16-year-old. “It’s an addiction.”
“The kid needs help. He’s obviously never seen anything really bad happen with drugs and alcohol,” said Dan Mainville, a 16-year community services worker at Couchiching, responding to what the teen had said.
But others were moved by the tragic words of Chuvalo and hoped he would continue to spread his message.
“I think he’s really good at talking to teenagers about drugs and how they should stay away from them,” said Melanie Jones, 14.
“He should talk to more teenagers about drugs and alcohol.”