Anyone wondering if Santa Clarita Valley wrestles with a substance abuse problem need only check out this weekend’s arrest log which shows more than half the people arrested over the weekend were busted for either drugs or alcohol.
At least 43 people were arrested between Friday and Sunday, nine on drug on suspicion of committing drug offenses and 15 on suspicion of driving under the influence of either drugs or alcohol.
Those arrested for DUI included many out-of-towners: a saleswoman from Granada Hills, a North Hills waitress, a Palmdale nurse, a Carpenter from Santa Ana and a machinist from Las Vegas.
A Saugus cook, an electrician who lives in Newhall and two construction workers from Canyon Country were among the locals those arrested for DUI, separately.
 The arrests were the accumulative number of people arrested by the Santa Clarita Valley Sheriff’s Station and the California Highway Patrol officers at the Newhall Station.
Names and details of the arrests were gathered, maintained and distributed by the Los Angeles County Sheriff Department’s Inmate Information Center. All but one of the arrests were misdemeanors.
“The law and common sense makes it absolutely clear that driving any vehicle under the influence is a critical mistake,” CHP Officer Josh Greengard told Signal Monday.
The CHP issued the lion’s share of DUI arrests, making eight of the 15 arrests.
“Driving under the influence does not only pertain to alcohol,” Greengard said. “Driving under the influence of marijuana, prescription drugs, and other drug use is illegal.
“Driving impaired, either alcohol or drugs will result in an arrest,” he said. “The fines associate with a first offense DUI along with other associated cost can be more than $15,000.”
Of the nine people arrested on suspicion of violating drug laws, offenses ranged from possession of a narcotic, under the influence of a narcotic, possession by someone with prior arrests and possession/purchase of a controlled substance for sale, a felony.
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