Jeb Bush Reveals Family Drug Struggles, Says Seeing His Daughter in Jail Was 'Very Debilitating'
Republican presidential aspirant Jeb Bush revealed his family's struggle with drug addiction and said that he felt heartbroken when he saw his daughter Noelle in jail.
Due to his family's traumatic battle with drugs, the former Florida governor said that if he becomes president, he will use his power to dramatically reduce drug abuse problems in the country.
In a report by People, Bush published an emotional essay detailing his daughter's struggles during his time as governor. He said, "I never expected to see my precious daughter in jail. It wasn't easy, and it became very public when I was Governor of Florida."
Bush then added that Noelle and his wife suffered through hell and added that, "It's very debilitating when you have a loved one who is struggling, and you can't control it." He said that although he loves his daughter very much, he had to make it clear that he will not enable her addiction.
After her arrest way back in 2002 due to a fraudulent prescription to buy anti-anxiety pills and getting caught with crack cocaine at a rehab center in Florida, Noelle, who is now 38 years old, is now drug-free.
Jeb added that the Bush family's suffering was amplified by the fact that they received heightened scrutiny because of their prominence.
With his daughter's past struggles with drugs as basis, Bush released a wide-ranging plan to battle substance abuse, which will focus on four points: prevention, criminal justice, border security plus treatment and recovery.
The Republican candidate specifically said that he will support prevention and enact tougher sentences for drug cartels while lowering mandatory minimums for non-violent drug offenders and expand access to drug courts, which can help non-violent offenders get a closely monitored treatment.
Furthermore, he detailed his plans to enhance security at the border by seeking to partner with countries that are the primary source of illegal drugs into the country such as Mexico, Colombia and Afghanistan.
He mentioned that he enacted similar policies during his time as a governor of Florida to the ones he proposed now. He also credited his wife Columba as leading the effort, The Guardian has learned.
According to CBS News, Jeb said that, "It will take real leadership that makes solving the problem a top priority. I've successfully fought this epidemic as a Governor, but more importantly, I've experienced it as a father."
Bush is also currently fighting low ratings, but with his plans to combat drug addiction announced, it's interesting to see how this will affect his placement in the 2016 Presidential polls.
* This is a contributed article and this content does not necessarily represent the views of latinpost.com