Pubdate: Wed, 01 May 2002
Source: Tallahassee Democrat (FL)
Copyright: 2002 Tallahassee Democrat.
Contact:  http://www.tdo.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/444
Author: Bill Cotterell, TD Staff Writer

TEARFUL BUSH CITES EFFORTS AT 'DRUG SUMMIT'
State Progressing In Substance-abuse Fight

Fighting back tears for his daughter's drug addiction, Gov. Jeb Bush
said Tuesday that Florida is closing in on his goal of cutting drug
and alcohol abuse by half.

Two top national leaders in the drug fight - former Florida health and
welfare chief Jim Towey, who heads the White House office on
faith-based initiatives, and national drug-policy adviser John Walters
- - praised the state's efforts in drug enforcement, education and
rehabilitation. But Jim McDonough, director of the state's drug
office, said a growing acceptance of marijuana in middle school and
binge drinking by college students - in which Florida State University
leads the state - are "foreboding" trends for the future.

Bush broke down briefly and struggled for composure while talking
about how drug use affected his family. His wife, Columba, dabbed at
her eyes as the governor spoke of their daughter, Noelle, who is
involved in a pretrial diversion program resulting from her arrest
Jan. 29 on a charge of trying to buy Xanax with a fake
prescription.

"I want to thank you for, on behalf of my wife, for your prayers, for
your quiet counseling in the last few months, about our daughter,
Noelle," Bush told about 400 enforcement, education and rehabilitation
specialists attending his fourth annual "drug summit." He immediately
paused, put his right fist to his chin, stepped back from the
microphone and closed his eyes, swallowing hard and taking a couple of
deep breaths.

The audience waited respectfully, then applauded warmly when Bush
apologized with a little joke about "the Bush men" all being emotional
about family. Afterward, the governor said his daughter, 24, is doing
well in a rehabilitation program.

"It's been tough personally, but it doesn't change my resolve for
making this an incredibly high priority," Bush said, his voice
cracking slightly. "The Bush men always cry; I apologize. Some genetic
problem I got from my dad. It must be genetic, because my dad does it
a lot."

It was the second time the governor has been moved to tears in a
public appearance. He choked up briefly Feb. 23, 2001, while telling a
group of ministers about abuse some black supporters and staff members
took for backing his One Florida Initiative, which ended affirmative
action in state contracting and university admissions.

About three weeks after his daughter's arrest, Bush spoke for the
first time about her drug addiction. He spoke slowly, with several
pauses then, telling how hundreds of Floridians - allies, opponents
and strangers - have shared personal experiences about drug abuse.

The son of the former president and his wife have been active in drug
treatment programs in Miami, before he was elected in 1998, and
statewide since moving into the Governor's Mansion. Without asking for
a show of hands, Bush speculated that if he asked how many in his
audience had a friend or family member affected by drugs, the response
would have been overwhelming.

When he took office, Bush set a goal of cutting drug use by half
statewide. McDonough, head of his Office of Drug Control, said the
percentage of people regularly using drugs has dropped from 8 percent
of the population to 5.5 percent. McDonough based his figures on polls
and research by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services
Administration's National Household Survey on drug abuse.

Pot, Alcohol Use Up

Although use of "hard" drugs such as cocaine and heroin is down,
McDonough said, marijuana and alcohol use is ominous.

For example, from 2000 to 2001, the percentage of seventh-graders
smoking marijuana rose from 3.9 to 6.7 percent. And the number of
college students who admitted "binge drinking" - defined as five or
more drinks for a man or at least four for a woman - is very high on
Florida campuses. At FSU, 51.1 percent of students said they had a
binge in the preceding 30 days.

"It's come to be accepted as a rite of passage," McDonough said of
alcohol abuse. "What we're seeing in college begins in the high schools."

Towey, former secretary of the old Department of Health and
Rehabilitative Services, praised the Bushes for their involvement in
anti-drug programs for several years.

"Florida is very blessed to have a faith-based first lady. This is her
life, her quiet, hidden work," Towey said. "These are real results we
see in Florida. Jeb is a radical; you wouldn't think of that when you
talk to Governor Bush, but the word 'radical' comes from the Latin
word for 'get to the root.'"

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DRUG ABUSE

 From 2000 to 2001, the percentage of seventh-graders smoking marijuana
rose from 3.9 to 6.7 percent; eighth-grade use jumped from 9.6 to 11.3
percent, and ninth-grade use increased from 14.8 to 17 percent. The
figures leveled off at about 18 percent in high school grades.

Florida State University led state schools with 51.1 percent of
students saying they had engaged in binge drinking in the preceding 30
days, followed by the University of Florida with 46.3 percent and 45.4
percent at the University of Central Florida.

Source: Substance Abuse and
Mental Health Services Administration
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MAP posted-by: SHeath(DPFFlorida)