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."

[continues 207 words]

Kids at Leona Cox Elementary School wore their clothes backward to school on Thursday to show that they were "turning their backs on drugs."

With shirts turned around, size tags tickled the chins of students and the hoods of big sweatshirts bobbed into the faces of children as they ran.

The message was clear: These students supported efforts to stay away from drugs.

"Your family might tell you to do drugs and you're scared," said Andrew Romo, 10. "You might find teenagers on the football field, but you shouldn't do drugs. You should just say no."

[continues 289 words]

Virtually 100 percent of Santa Clarita high school students will experiment with drugs or alcohol or both at some point before they graduate, and many use in their parents' presence, the president of a local anti-drug council said Wednesday.

Alcohol, marijuana and methamphetamines are the most commonly used and abused drugs in the Santa Clarita Valley, and in the nation, said Susan Shaddock, program director for the National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence of the Santa Clarita Valley.

"I continue to be amazed at the number of teen clients (who) use drugs with their parents," Shaddock said. "It is way more common than you'd ever believe."

[continues 329 words]