A study of 344 juveniles arrested in San Diego in 2003 revealed that more than half tested positive for drug use, according to a report released today by the San Diego Association of Governments.

Fifty-six percent of the 282 boys and 62 girls who provided a urine sample tested positive for some type of drug, according to the study by SANDAG's Criminal Justice Research Division.

Forty-nine percent tested positive for marijuana; 15 percent for methamphetamine; three percent for cocaine; one percent for PCP; and one percent for heroin, according to the report.

A total of 360 juveniles arrested in San Diego in 2003 were interviewed for SANDAG's Substance Abuse Monitoring project, which provides law enforcement, treatment centers and prevention programs with an in-depth look at drug use among adult and juvenile arrestees.

Seventy-six percent of the juveniles interviewed reported that they had tried tobacco; 82 percent marijuana; 28 percent methamphetamine; 16 percent cocaine; 14 percent mushrooms; 13 percent inhalants; 12 percent ecstasy; 10 percent rohypnol; 9 percent crack; 6 percent LSD and 3 percent heroin.

Those interviewed for the study ranged in age from 11 to 18. The average age of the group was about 16.

The study found drug experience among those interviewed varied by age.

Two-thirds of interviewees 11 to 13 said they tried alcohol, tobacco and marijuana at least once. Three-fourths of that group said it was easy to obtain those substances.

In addition to age, not being enrolled in school, being involved in a gang and having parents who use drugs were characteristics found to be consistent predictors of drug use, according to the study.

The report found that girls have different drug risk factors than boys.

Girls were less likely to have a stable residence in the past 30 days, more likely to have been bullied, more likely to have run away from home and more likely to have drug using parents.

Thirty-four percent of the juveniles interviewed for the study were arrested for a violent offense; 27 percent for a property crime; 23 percent for some other type of violation; 9 percent for a status offense such as a curfew violation and seven percent for a drug or alcohol offense. CNS-01-3-2005 17:33