MARIJUANA USE BY TEENS RISES SANTA CLARITA STUDY REPORTS EASE OF ACCESS.

Byline: Amy Raisin Staff Writer

SANTA CLARITA - Two of three Santa Clarita teens have used marijuana by 12th grade and 84 percent of 1,800 teens surveyed said it's easy to buy drugs, according to a study commissioned by the city.

The yearlong study, conducted by the Santa Clarita Valley Youth Project and completed in 1999, revealed a problem that many contend is perpetuated by ``not my kid'' denials and parental fear.

``This is happening to everybody and if we continue to turn our backs and not deal with it, the problem will only get worse,'' said Glenda Bona, the mother of a recovering drug addict and a member of the city's Blue Ribbon Task Force.

Bona shared some of the survey results and her own experiences at a Hart district advisory committee meeting Tuesday night, and she said the reaction of parents and administrators only strengthened her resolve to talk about the problem.

At least two people in the audience said, ``I know what my kids are doing, but how do we help the others'' - a common parental response, according to Steve LePore of the SCV Youth Project.

``There is no question that in our community and communities like ours, a typical response to being told there is a problem is denial,'' LePore said. ``But that's a common response and (help comes) when you get beyond that.''

In 1999, 33 juveniles were arrested in Santa Clarita on felony drug charges, 95 on misdemeanor charges. A year later, there were 22 felony and 43 misdemeanor arrests.

LePore said the Santa Clarita Valley is above the national average in the categories of marijuana use and underage drinking, but his outreach program and Web site - www.helpnothassle.org - is one resource to help the problem.

``We don't need to be ashamed and we don't need to feel like this is a bad thing,'' LePore said. ``This is a real thing. The children in this valley have resources'' to obtain drugs and alcohol.

Seventy-five percent of those polled said they know someone who will purchase alcohol.

Advisory committee members agreed to take the issue to their school site meetings, where each can decide how to get parents more involved in their children's lives.

``Just because you think you know where your kids are and what they're doing doesn't mean you do,'' said Bona, who said her 20-year-old's addiction and two-year recovery taught her a lot about herself.

``I learned to take a look at myself and the way I was communicating with my son. He wasn't hearing me, and I needed to learn how to listen to him,'' she said.

After sharing her story, one parent summed up community denial, noting that if a ``good, normal person'' like Bona could be living with the ravages of addiction, anyone can.

``That was telling,'' Bona said of the comment. ``Adults need to talk more with teen-agers. To lose all these valuable years because we don't know how to talk to them is a tragedy.''