NATIONAL DRUG USE AMONG TEENS ON THE DECLINE

A recent study released by the National Drug Control Policy and
President Bush's "Drug Czar" stated that American teenage drug use is
down drastically - a report that does not accurately portray Santa
Clarita teens, anti-drug officials said.

The number of eighth-, 10th- and 12th-grade students claiming to use
drugs like marijuana and methamphetamines went down 23 percent, equal
to roughly 840,000 fewer youth using illicit drugs nationwide in
2006 than in 2001, according to the report.

"There has been a substance abuse sea change among American teens,"
John Walters, director of national Drug Control Policy, said in a
statement. "They are getting the message that dangerous drugs damage
their lives and limit their futures."

The report relied on data complied by the University of Michigan's
2006 "Monitoring the Future" study released on Dec. 21.

The report also found an approximate 33 percent drop in steroid use
among teens and a 50 to 66 percent drop in hallucinogens like Ecstasy
and LSD.

While Walters credited anti-drug media campaigns with deterring
teens, those statistics are nonsense, said Cary Quashen, director and
founder of ACTION - a Santa Clarita Valley nonprofit organization
that provides substance abuse and crisis counseling.

"I think they bumped their heads," he said. "That's
ridiculous."

In his opinion, teenage marijuana use has exploded in popularity
around Santa Clarita, making it one of the most emotionally addictive
drugs available today.

"Marijuana is so powerful. People say it's not addictive, but I could
pack a whole auditorium with people telling you otherwise," he said.

There is even evidence to support the idea that marijuana is
physically addictive as patients have complained of difficulty
sleeping, headaches and anxiety attacks when they have tried to quit,
he added.

However, these days, fewer local teenagers are using
methamphetamines, commonly referred to as "crystal meth" - opting
instead to try prescription drugs or cocaine to get high, Quashen
said.