Pubdate: Thu, 27 Jul 2006 Source: Vancouver 24hours (CN BC) Copyright: 2006 Canoe Inc Contact: http://vancouver.24hrs.ca/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/3837 Author: John Pigeon, 24 Hours Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/mjcn.htm (Cannabis - Canada) Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/find?224 (Cannabis and Driving) TORIES PLAN CRACKDOWN ON DRUGGED DRIVING Conservative MP Mark Warawa announced yesterday the federal government's plan to create tougher legislation helping police crack down on drivers stoned on marijuana. Warawa made the announcement from the RCMP station in his Langley riding but stopped short of saying how exactly police officers will be able to confirm the driver's impairment is caused by marijuana. "It's very difficult. What we call an accident directly involves a choice, a choice in each case that is a dangerous choice and a wrong choice - to drive while you're impaired," Warawa said. "The government of Canada takes this issue very seriously and we're examining all legislative options to deal with this important issue." Helen Featherson couldn't agree more with the proposed legislation after her 16-year-old son Simon was killed after unknowingly getting into a car with a stoned driver who he had just met. "What a terrible irony it was that Simon would be killed at the age of 16 by being invited into a car driven by someone who was a heavy drug user, someone with a very different attitude towards life," Featherson said. The new legislation falls in line with the Conservative governments plan to crack down on drug use and crime. - --- MAP posted-by: Beth Wehrman