“I’m All for the Legalization of Drugs”: 11X WSL Champ Kelly Slater Made a Bold Statement to Remove Social Stigma in 2016

Published 11/27/2022, 4:15 PM EST

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Surfing is a sport that requires a lot of patience and concentration. Kelly Slater has 11 World Surf League (WSL) titles and 55 event titles. This is enough to tell why Slater is in a league of his own when it comes to surfing. The ace surfer is also the youngest and oldest winner of the WSL. His dominance in the sport is simply unbeatable by his opponents. Currently, he is in his 50s and still dominating the waves.

Kelly Slater, back in 2016, made a bold statement about the legalization of drugs. Slater has always been a sober person, but for some reason he wanted drugs to be legalized.

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Kelly Slater was crystal-clear about the legalization of drugs

Unlike a few other athletes, Kelly Slater has always been someone who tries his best to set an example for society and the coming generation. Back in 2016, in an exclusive interview with GQ Magazine, the veteran surfer weighed on his opinion on the legalization of drugs.

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“I just choose to not get out of control,” Slater said and continued, “I’m all for the legalisation of drugs – all drugs, in fact.” Slater is an occasional beer drinker, and he always tries to keep himself as sober as he can. 

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“Educate [people], tax [drugs] and make society not have these stigmas on someone who is a drug addict,” Slater added “You know, a lot of the time, a drug addiction is a side effect of an emotional problem for people.”

Slater never wanted drug addicts to face stigma from society. He wanted to end it. The pro surfer believed in the change.

There was a big reason behind the surfer’s concern regarding this issue.

Kelly Slater’s father suffered from alcoholism.

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Since Slater’s father suffered from alcoholism, this was the reason his mother and father got a divorce when he was just a kid. Slater lived a tough life, as his family’s financial situation wasn’t good. His father was also not contributing anything that would have helped them financially.

Slater’s father wasn’t a fan of hard liquor, but he used to drink too much beer. According to Slater, alcoholism is a weird disease. Even after drinking a lot of beer, his father didn’t show any abusive behavior towards Slater or his family.

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WATCH THIS STORY – Kelly Slater’s IG Following Shows He Still Follows Supermodel Ex-Girlfriend Gisele Bundchen As Well as Former Hubby Tom Brady

Do you also agree with Kelly Slater about the social stigma people have against drug addicts? Let us know in the comment section.

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Written by:

Rahul Goutam Hoom

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Rahul Goutam Hoom is a US Sports writer for EssentiallySports. He is currently pursuing his Master's in Mass Communication and Journalism from Birla Global University. Rahul does photography and gaming during his leisure hours and likes to watch anime.
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Edited by:

Abhishek Kumar