Pubdate: Tue, 16 Jan 2018
Source: St. Thomas Times-Journal (CN ON)
Copyright: 2018 Sun Media
Contact: http://www.stthomastimesjournal.com/letters
Website: http://www.stthomastimesjournal.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/953
Author: Laura Broadley
Page: 3

LEGALIZATION OF POT WILL LEAD TO MORE IMPAIRED CHARGES, EXPERT WARNS

The legalization of marijuana on July 1 will lead to an increase in
the number of impaired drivers, a legal expert warns.

"When cannabis becomes legally available to purchase at the age of 18
. . . we can expect rate of use among young people and rates of
drug-impaired driving to rise significantly," said Robert Solomon, a
law professor at Western University who specializes in alcohol and
drug policy.

He also acts as the national director of legal policy for Mothers
Against Drunk Driving Canada.

Numbers from across Southwestern Ontario show several police forces
laid more impaired driving charges in 2017 compared with the previous
year. The charges cover impairment by alcohol or drugs.

Solomon said the time frame of one year is too short to draw the
conclusion that more people are driving while impaired.

"If you see a pattern over time of increased charges it's likely that
it may be related to an increase in incidents," he said.

The increase in charges in 2017 could also be attributed to greater
enforcement by police, Solomon said.

Police forces across Canada are preparing for an expected increase in
the number of drivers impaired by drugs after marijuana becomes legal
July 1.

Surveys, testing of drivers at the roadside and post-mortem data
indicate people aged 16 to 24 have the highest rate of driving after
consuming marijuana, Solomon said.

When marijuana becomes legally available for those 18 years or older,
experience has shown use and problems will increase, he said.

After marijuana became legal in the state of Washington, the
percentage of drivers who died in crashes who tested positive for
cannabis doubled, Solomon said.

"When Colorado did the same it increased by 44 per
cent."

Solomon said those numbers indicate the drug was in the deceased
driver's system.

"Those numbers still raise significant concerns because no doubt a
significant percentage, a significant number of those people were
likely adversely affected by the cannabis and it may as well have
played a causative role," Solomon said.

Solomon pointed out that although he predicts the number of deaths
associated with drugimpaired driving to increase, it still doesn't
cause as many crash deaths as alcohol-impaired driving.

"The fact that it (marijuana) causes less harm than alcohol is hardly
a ringing endorsement."

In 2017, officers in the OPP's West Region, an area that encompasses
Southwestern Ontario, laid 1,128 alcohol-related impaired charges and
42 drug-related impaired charges.

More charges for both types of impaired driving were laid in 2016, but
police aren't celebrating.

"One impaired driving charge is too many in our books. People have
technology at their fingertips, they can call for a cab or a ride home
from a family member," said Const. Ed Sanchuk, an OPP
spokesperson.

Const. Travis Sandham with the traffic and crime prevention unit at
the St. Thomas police said the legalization of marijuana will make his
job more complicated.

"The government is coming up with ways to test for it that could be
quite user-friendly for police and quite accurate."

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[sidebar]

Impaired driving charges (alcohol and drugs)

Police force           2017           2016

Sarnia              53            42

West Region OPP         1,170          1,223

St. Thomas            52             39

London              242            209

Chatham-Kent, Stratford, Woodstock and Aylmer numbers weren't
available at press time.
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MAP posted-by: Matt