BUSH TOUTS SUCCESSES IN FIGHTING DRUG ABUSE

Abuse Of Most Drugs Is Falling, State Figures Show - With The
Exception Of Prescription Drugs

TALLAHASSEE - As Gov. Jeb Bush addressed for the last time on
Wednesday a summit of people who work in the fight against drug
abuse, he could point to a decrease in the abuse of most types of
drugs during his eight years in office.

Use of heroin has dropped by 66 percent in the last five years in
Florida. Use of ecstasy has gone down 63 percent; of crack cocaine, 43 percent.

Even methamphetamine use, often cited as the new drug scourge of
America, has gone down in Florida by 59 percent in five years,
according to figures compiled by Bush's Office of Drug Control Policy.

"We've seen dramatic reductions in all sorts of abusive drugs," Bush
said, opening the eighth drug summit he's attended since he took
office in 1999. Children, in particular, are using drugs far less.

Even alcohol and cigarettes, two drugs that are legal for adults but
have health implications, have had fairly significant reductions in
use in five years. Cigarette smoking has dropped by 45 percent and
reported alcohol consumption by 10 percent.

Measured by Bush's own goals, there have been shortcomings. The
governor said in 2000 he was committed to reducing drug abuse in
Florida by 50 percent over five years. The number of people using any
illegal drug has dropped 22 percent since that year.

But Bush trumpeted the success on Wednesday, thanking treatment
workers, police and the judges who serve in Florida's drug courts for
enabling the reductions. He said Florida's policies, which have
focused on treatment, are the reason.

Bush noted that state spending on treatment and prevention programs
has nearly doubled since he took office. The state last year spent
$305-million on such programs, an increase of about 80 percent since 1998.

There has been an exception to the positive results, Bush said,
pointing to an increase in the abuse of prescription drugs, a problem
the governor has personal experience with. His daughter battled
prescription drug abuse a few years ago.

"The use of prescription drugs now is a serious problem," Bush said.
He has pushed for legislation to more closely monitor how drugs are
prescribed to be able to better identify abusers, but has run into opposition.

"It's one of the areas where I have struck out with the Legislature," Bush said.