Summit fights substance abuse

LA CA—ADA FLINTRIDGE ? Tobacco use is the most common gateway to alcohol and drug abuse, a psychologist who studies foothill teen substance abuse told community leaders Saturday.

Psychologist Paul Royer also said that children of overly-dominant or permissive parents are most likely to abuse drugs or alcohol; older teens and young adults who would normally be away at college are hanging around town and contributing to the teen substance abuse problem; and more 13- and 14-year-olds are using drugs and alcohol.

Community leaders discussed the data and other issues during the Teen Alcohol Summit Meeting at La Cañada Flintridge City Hall.

Raising public awareness, improving parent and teen education, closing the high school campus, making sure stores aren't selling to minors and changing the culture of the community were some of the ideas that came out of the summit.

About 40 community leaders representing public and private schools, law enforcement, the YMCA, Kiwanis, the Roger Barkley Community Center and PTAs joined parents, an deputy district attorney, a mental health specialist and a recovering teen alcoholic at the summit organized by the Community Prevention Council.

The council coordinates agencies to help combat the illegal use of drug and alcohol, substance abuse and family problems.

While substance abuse issues at La Cañada High School have been greatly reduced over the last few years, evening and weekend substance abuse among teens is still prevalent in the community, the group agreed.

No group or individual committed to making specific changes in policy, but they agreed to take the information exchanged at the summit and use it to coordinate public awareness programs and enforce rules and laws that are already in place.

"I certainly came away encouraged that there is so much interest among the leadership of the community and I think there are certainly areas that need continued focus and attention and obviously that was the at-home parties that aren't properly supervised and controlled," said La Cañada Flintridge Mayor Greg Brown. "We need to make sure we are enforcing the laws that are on the books. I think we've got those tools and we need to do everything we can to make sure businesses and residents are complying."