Pubdate: Sat, 07 Jan 2006 Source: Glendale News-Press (CA) Copyright: 2006 Times Community Newspapers Contact: http://www.latimes.com/tcn/glendale/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/167 Author: Tania Chatila Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/youth.htm (Youth) 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. - --- MAP posted-by: Beth Wehrman