Republican presidential candidate and former Florida Governor Jeb Bush holds a meet and greet at Chico's Restaurant on December 28, 2015 in Hialeah, Florida. Mr. Bush continues to campaign for his parties' nomination as the presidential candidate. on December 28, 2015 in Miami, Florida.Johnny Louis—FilmMagic
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.
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.
George W. Bush and Jeb Bush, Jan. 1, 1955.Sygma/CorbisFrom left to right: Doro, Marvin, Neil, and Jeb Bush, fall 1963.George Bush Presidential LibraryFrom left to right: Doro, George, Jeb, Marvin, George W., Neil, and Barbara Bush, 1966.George Bush Presidential LibraryJeb Bush (center) was the varsity tennis team captain during his senior year at Phillips Academy in Andover, Mass., 1971. Seth Poppel/Yearbook LibraryGeorge Bush and his four sons, Neil, Jeb, George W. and Marvin in 1970. Bob E. Daemmrich—Sygma/CorbisJeb and Columba Bush on their wedding day, Feb. 23, 1974.George Bush Presidential LibraryJeb Bush loudly applauds his father, Republican presidential hopeful George Bush, at a campaign rally in Concord, N.H. on Feb. 28, 1980.Frank Lorenzo—Bettmann/CorbisVice President George Bush holds a fish with his sons George W. and Jeb during a family vacation in Kennebunkport, Maine in Aug. 1983.Cynthia Johnson—Getty ImagesFrom left to right (without children): Neil and Sharon Bush, George W. Bush and wife Laura, Barbara and George Bush, Margaret and Marvin, Bobby Koch and Dorothy, Jeb and Columba, are seen in this Bush family photo taken in Kennebunkport, Maine on Aug. 24, 1986.Dave Valdez—White House/Sygma/CorbisJeb Bush plays cards with his son while riding in a recreational vehicle, Nov. 8, 1993.Christopher Little—CorbisJeb Bush is interviewed at a Miami Radio Station, WIOD, Mar. 1980. He went on to become Governor of Florida in 1999.Tim Chapman—Getty ImagesGeorge W. Bush and Jeb Bush at the Republican Governors' Convention in New Orleans, 1998.
Nina Berman—SIPATexas governor George W. Bush celebrates good news with his brother, Florida governor Jeb Bush, while watching the presidential election returns, prior to being elected as President of the United States, inside the Governor's Mansion in Austin, Nov. 7, 2000. Brooks Kraft—Sygma/CorbisRepublican governor of Florida, Jeb Bush, studies his laptop watching vote returns for his reelection his wife Columba Bush and his parents, former President George Bush and first lady Barbara Bush in Miami on Nov. 5, 2002.Joe Burbank—Orlando Sentinel/MCT/Getty ImagesRepublican nominee for President, Mitt Romney, campaigns around Florida with Governor Jeb Bush, left, Senator Marco Rubio, right, and Congressman Connie Mack, left back of head, in Coral Gables, Fla. on Oct., 31, 2012. Melina Mara—The Washington Post/Getty ImagesJeb Bush speaks at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) in National Harbor, Md. on Feb. 27, 2015.Mark Peterson—Redux for TIME
