LOCALS TO DISCUSS SUBSTANCE ABUSE

Meeting Will Focus On Substance Abuse Among Youths In Foothills

LA CANADA FLINTRIDGE -- Will Moffitt is not ready to turn a blind eye
to what he says is a substance abuse problem among youth in the foothills.

"Lots of parents are not aware of what their kids are doing," said
Moffitt, who lives in La Canada Flintridge and chairs the local
Community Prevention Council, an advocacy group that works to solve
issues among teens and their families.

"We want parents to be aware of the temptations that are out in front
of their kids today."

In an effort to highlight the substance abuse problem among foothill
community youth, the Community Prevention Council will host a forum
at 7 p.m. Thursday at the Roger Barkley Community Center to help
parents identify the warning signs of drug and alcohol abuse in
children, he said.

"The problem is parents' lack of awareness," said Paul Royer, who has
been on the Community Prevention Council for 15 years and will help
lead Thursday's forum. "Parents try to minimize and deny there is a problem."

Royer, who lives in La Crescenta, is a licensed clinical social
worker and works with children and adolescents.

He will lead a question-and-answer session Thursday to help parents
identify the early warning signs of drug abuse, what drugs are
prevalent among children and teens in the foothills and how parents
can stay involved in their children's lives.

"Alcohol is on the rise in the whole foothill region," Moffitt said.
"That's causing a lot of problems. [Local sheriffs deputies] are just
convinced there is going to be an alcohol-related fatality, because
of all the parties they are breaking up and all the alcohol being served."

But alcohol isn't the only problem, Royer said.

Foothill children and teens are also dabbling in prescription
medication -- such as Vicodin according to Moffitt -- marijuana and
cocaine, he said, adding that this is information he has gathered
from the local schools and his patients.

The area of most concern for representatives with the Community
Prevention Council is middle school-aged children, because they are
at an increased risk for experimentation and addiction, he said.

"That seems to be when kids are experimenting most and that's when
they're going through the medicine cabinets and that's when they're
going though the liquor cabinet," he said.

"And at that age, if they're experimenting with drugs and alcohol,
there is a good chance they will have a problem with drugs and
alcohol at a later time."

Anywhere from 60 to 100 people are expected to attend Thursday's
forum, which is endorsed by local schools, the city of La Canada
Flintridge and the Los Angeles Sheriff's Department through the
Crescenta Valley station.