Franklin County is moving forward on a proposal to create a drug rehabilitation center in Franklin County

Franklin County is moving forward on a proposal to create a drug rehabilitation center in Franklin County.

The county commission has agreed to spend about 15 thousand dollars to create “as built” plans for the old work camp west of Apalachicola which is where the center would likely be built

Sheriff AJ Smith told county commissioners that a local rehab center is needed to help the many people in Franklin County, and in surrounding counties, who are suffering drug addiction, particularly with methamphetamine.

He said 60 to 70 percent of the people in the local jail are there because of drug use or for doing crimes to get drugs.

He also pointed out that two recent suicides were likely drug related and the county has been seeing an increase in the homeless population because of drugs.

The sheriff would like to create a local rehab center in Franklin County where local people and possibly people from neighboring counties can get the help they need to get clean and possibly train for a job so they don't start using drugs again once they have completed the program.

The most likely location for the rehab center would be the old work camp west of Apalachicola because it already has the facilities that are needed.

Sheriff Smith said that there is already strong support for the plan from neighboring counties; Sheriff Harrison from Gulf County has offered 100 thousand dollars in seized drug money to help.

The county has brought in an architect to come up with an estimated cost to renovate the dorms at the Workcamp for use as a drug rehabilitation center, but the architect cant provide an accurate renovation estimate until he has plans for the site.

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