Republican presidential candidate Jeb Bush released his strategy Monday for combating drug trafficking and abuse.
In an emotional letter, published on the site Medium, Bush outlines a four-part plan: prevent addiction, improve treatment and recovery programs, secure the border and strengthen the criminal justice system with stiffer sentences for dealers.
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Bush is familiar with the pain of seeing a loved one struggle with drugs—his daughter Noelle battled with addiction while he was the Governor of Florida. “She went through hell, so did her mom, and so did I,” wrote Bush in the Medium post. “It’s very debilitating when you have a loved one who is struggling, and you can’t control it.”
In the piece, he writes that his experience with his daughter informed his proposed drug policies: seeing her go through drug court opened his eyes to a multi-step approach. While he does advocate for reduced sentencing and diversion programs for nonviolent drug offenders, under Bush there would be stiffer sentences for traffickers and those running “pill mills.”
Bush is not the only candidate talking about the issue. Former HP CEO Carly Fiorina has also written about her stepdaughter’s addiction, a video of New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie talking about addiction went viral, and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has released a plan to fight drug abuse.
Read More: Jeb Bush Opens Up About His Daughter’s Drug Abuse
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