Pubdate: Wed, 20 Dec 2006
Source: Kingston Whig-Standard (CN ON)
Copyright: 2006 The Kingston Whig-Standard
Contact:  http://www.kingstonwhigstandard.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/224

DRUGGED DRIVING DOUBLES

Young Males Cited As Biggest Offenders

OTTAWA - A study coming on the heels of federal efforts to discourage 
drug-impaired drivers indicates driving under the influence of 
marijuana and hashish has more than doubled since 1989.

The survey by the Canadian Centre on Substance Abuse says young males 
are driving under the influence of cannabis as often as, or more 
often, than they drive under the influence of alcohol.

The survey results come just a month after the federal Conservative 
government tabled legislation to crack down on drug-impaired drivers 
with heavier fines and jail terms.

While also making it harder to challenge breathalyser tests in court, 
the main focus of the plan first advanced by the former Liberal 
government are those who get behind the wheel while high on 
marijuana, cocaine, methamphetamine or a variety of other drugs.

Of 4,639 Canadians questioned for the 2004 Canadian Addiction Survey 
or CAS, 4.8 per cent reported driving in the previous year within two 
hours of using cannabis, more than twice the proportion found by 
comparable studies conducted in 1988 and 1989.

Researchers said it is not clear what impact the figures are having 
on crash-related death and injury.

"Controlled studies that have attempted to determine the risk of 
crash involvement associated with driving after cannabis use have 
shown mixed results," said Rita Notarandrea, the centre's research 
and policy director.

"The CAS data provide us with a more accurate understanding of the 
prevalence of driving after cannabis use in Canada, but points to a 
gap in understanding how much of a factor this is in causing or 
contributing to harms such as motor vehicle crashes."

Males were 3.6 times more likely than females to drive under the 
influence of cannabis.

The report also cites other research suggesting young cannabis users 
may not perceive their driving abilities to be adversely affected 
after using cannabis, or at least less affected than after consuming alcohol.

Many young people also believe that it is difficult for police to 
detect and charge drivers for driving after cannabis use, it said.

"The data are telling us that youth, particularly young males, are a 
high-risk group and that many of these young drivers may have a false 
sense of security about driving under the influence of cannabis," 
said Notarandrea.

However, a prevalence of those who reported driving under the 
influence of cannabis also reported consuming higher-than-average 
amounts of alcohol, said the report titled Driving Under the 
Influence of Cannabis.

Under the federal government's new bill, the minimum fine for a first 
offence of either drug-or alcohol-impaired driving would be $1,000 
rather than the current $600. A second offence would bring a 
mandatory 30 days in jail rather than 14, a third offence 120 days 
rather than 90. In the worst cases, the maximum sentence would be 
life in prison for impaired driving causing death and 10 years for 
causing bodily harm.

Driving while intoxicated by any substance has long been illegal. But 
there is no simple and conclusive roadside test for drug impairment 
to match the well-known breath test that measures alcohol levels.
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