Jeb Bush confronts heroin campaign head-on in his presidential campaign

Opiate painkillers are still responsible for more deaths per year, but heroin deaths have increased nearly threefold since 2010. According to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Protection, heroin-related overdose deaths increased 286% over the last decade. Jeb Bush plans to use his past actions as Florida governor as a blueprint for national reform on this growing heroin crisis. As governor, Bush focused on reducing recidivism by dealing with low-level drug crimes through monitored treatment and testing as opposed to incarceration, tripled the number of drug courts in Florida, and established "prevention coalitions" in each county.

This story was originally published October 12, 2015 at 12:46 PM with the headline "Jeb Bush confronts heroin campaign head-on in his presidential campaign."