NY Gov. Paterson says he used cocaine

New York Gov. David Paterson discusses marital infidelities as his wife Michelle Paige Paterson looks on during a news conference at the state Capitol in Albany, N.Y., Tuesday, March 18, 2008. Paterson said Monday that he used cocaine in his 20s and smoked marijuana when he was younger. (AP Photo/Mike Groll, FILE)

NEW YORK—New York's new governor, who disclosed last week that he and his wife both committed adultery several years ago, said Monday that he used cocaine in his 20s and smoked marijuana when he was younger.

In reference to cocaine, Gov. David Paterson, 53, said in a television interview that he "tried it a couple of times" when he was "about 22 or 23."

"And marijuana probably when I was about 20," he said on the NY1 cable news station. "I don't think I touched marijuana since the '70s."

"More Americans have tried a lot more during that period of time and gone on to lead responsible lives and hopefully have lived their lives to their fullest," he said.

Paterson was lieutenant governor under Gov. Eliot Spitzer, who resigned last week amid a prostitution scandal.

Last week, Paterson and his wife, Michelle Paterson, disclosed they each had strayed from the marriage years ago. The couple were separated for a "couple years" at the time, David Paterson said Monday.

In Monday's interview, Paterson pointed out that he had acknowledged to a television journalist in 2006 that he had used illegal drugs.

The NY1 interviewer, Dominic Carter, noted that few people paid attention to Paterson's revelation then because he was running for lieutenant governor.