MOUNTIES CAN TEST FOR DRUG IMPAIRMENT

Nanaimo police officers now have the authority to require a
Standardized Field Sobriety Test from any driver they suspect to be
impaired by drugs - illegal, prescription or over the counter.

Through Bill C-2, Canadian police can demand a breathalyzer test,
physical coordination test, a 12-step assessment by a Drug
Recognition Expert, as well as body fluid samples.

Const. Dale Somerville, Nanaimo RCMP's drug recognition expert, said
the new law will help Mounties keep drug-impaired drivers off the streets.

"It's to the point now where instead of saying 'please' it's 'look,
you've got to do it,'" he said. "If you refuse, just like refusing a
blood alcohol test, there are consequences. You can be charged as
long as the grounds are there."

Somerville stressed that an officer must establish reasonable
suspicion before demanding an assessment.

Impaired driving is a problem in the Nanaimo area and having
mandatory drug tests will save lives in the long run, said Joan
Parsons, president of RRID (Rid Roads of Impaired Drivers). She added
that she is always surprised by the number of people who feel drugs
don't have the same effect on driving as alcohol.

"I do a lot of speaking in the community and people will sit and
argue with me that they drive better after a few drinks or tokes,"
she said. "It's killing people and this will help."

The Drug Recognition Expert program has been around for years,
primarily in the U.S., Somerville said. B.C. came on board in 1998,
although at that time, drug testing was voluntary and drug
recognition experts were used to provide testimony in the courtroom.

With the new law in place, people can expect more officers will
undergo drug recognition training, Somerville said.

Anyone convicted of operating a vehicle under the influence of drugs,
alcohol or both will be prohibited from driving a vehicle for one to
three years for a first offence and two to five years for a second offence.

Fines start at $1,000 for a first offence and at least 30 days in
prison for a second one. Subsequent offences will add an additional 120 days.

Parsons said she personally supports the change in the law, but
anticipates opposition.

"I know that it's going to go through the whole court system because
people will challenge it as they always do," she said.

"Some might say it's invasion of privacy. I strongly feel that you
void some of your rights to privacy when you break the law."