TEEN DRUG USE FEARED ON THE RISE LOCAL TRENDS DIFFER FROM STATEWIDE DECREASE.

Byline: CONNIE LLANOS  Staff Writer

A statewide study says adolescent and teen substance abuse remains low, but local experts fear the trend is moving in the opposite direction in the Santa Clarita Valley.

The study, released last week by Attorney General Bill Lockyer, said substance abuse in middle school and high school students continues a downward trend -- the direction in which it's been moving since 1998.

But in Santa Clarita, drug use is up among the target of the study, youths in grade 7, 9 and 11.

There are no hard numbers available for the area, but sheriff's records show 90 juveniles were arrested in 2004 for drug possession and 106 in 2005.

Drug counselors say the problem is growing.

``I totally disagree with the findings; the use of drugs by adolescents in this area is increasing,'' said Sharon Holliday, a coordinator for the Santa Clarita Valley Child and Family Center's Drug and Alcohol Prevention Education Curriculum program.

The five-day program works with 11- to 18-years-olds who are referred by school, court and law enforcement officials. DAPEC has been dealing with teen drug use for 10 years, and continues to see its patient load grow, Holliday said.

``My program has gone up in attendance at least 10 percent,'' she said. ``I already have seven kids in the program for this month, and it's the first week.''

A 2004-05 DAPEC report showed that of 129 participants, 45 drank alcohol, 52 smoked marijuana, at least 17 used methamphetamine and at least 12 were abusing prescription and over-the-counter drugs.

Holliday says in a report due next week she expects the numbers to continue to grow and she plans to include a new research category that tracks teens who ``double-dip'' or use two or more substances at one time.

``In the war on drugs, we have lost the battle and our children are our casualties,'' Holliday said.

The state survey, which questioned 10,638 high school and middle school students from 113 California campuses, said that while drug use has dropped, drug and alcohol binges are up.

Excessive alcohol use, which is measured as five or more drinks in three days during the past month, was reported by 27 percent of 11th-graders, 14 percent of ninth-graders, and 5 1/2 percent of seventh-graders.

Heavy or high risk drug use, which the survey described as the frequent use of more than one drug, weekly or daily marijuana use, or use of crack cocaine or cocaine and methamphetamine, was reported by 17 percent of 11th-graders, 11 percent of ninth-graders, and four percent of seventh-graders.

Meth use varied by age. Three percent of seventh graders used meth, the highest ever reported for that age group. But ninth-grade use fell to 3.8 percent and 11th-grade use, 6.3 percent, a half-percent drop from the previous year for that group.

In Santa Clarita, meth is gaining popularity.

``Meth is seductive,'' said Jamie Wilder, program manager for the Alternative Substance Abuse Program.

Holliday said savvier kids know how to skew survey results.

``Most of my kids tell me they lie on those type of surveys. They fear somewhere along the line someone will find out and they will get in trouble.''

Part of the problem is that a suburban community like Santa Clarita assumes it's safe from the drug epidemic.

``Most people think of an addict as a bum, sitting on a corner with a needle in one arm, and a beer in a paper bag in another,'' Holliday said.

``Addiction makes an exception for no one.''

connie.llanos(at)dailynews.com

[phone]