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COLUMBA BUSH VISITS KEY WEST PROGRAMS

Florida First Lady Columba Bush and state Drug Control Director Jim McDonough toured Campus South and Safeport Friday to see Key West drug-abuse prevention programs.

Campus South Director Mark Bell said the two had many questions for program administrators and families in the programs.

"It gave us our chance to be able to show how unique Key West is, which sometimes gets lost in Tallahassee," Bell said.

Bush, an advocate for substance-abuse programs, especially those that target children, regularly travels the state with McDonough to discover successful drug prevention and treatment programs.

"It is always enlightening to visit programs that inform the whole family about the dangers of drugs and allow them to take positive steps toward making a better future for themselves," Bush stated in a news release about her Key West visit.  "I'm glad that the Key West Housing Authority has become so involved with helping our families live drug-free lives."

The Campus South and Safeport programs include the Governor's Drug-Free Communities program called Drug-Free Kids.  Safeport faced a funding crisis last year, but intervention by the Guidance Clinic of the Middle Keys saved the program, which currently operates with a federal grant.

Bell said McDonough hinted that more money may be available for Safeport in the future through funding routed through the Monroe County Sheriff's Office.

Having the First Lady and a top drug official at the programs was a positive sign for the programs, Bell said.  "She listens and asks very pertinent questions."