TOUGH NEW PENALTIES FOR IMPAIRED DRIVING

Tough new penalties for impaired driving are welcome news for a
public-at-large that has had quite enough of drunks and drugged up
drivers turning the province's roadways into death traps.

New provisions of the Tackling Violent Crime Act came into effect on
July 2, giving police more tools to detect and investigate drug
impaired driving.

While drug driving is already a criminal offence, police are now able
to demand a suspect driver submit to a roadside sobriety test and to
give up bodily fluids for testing for drugs.

Refusing the tests is now a criminal offence, similar to refusing to
take a breathalyzer test for alcohol detection. As well, the act
covers drug impairment not only for illegal drugs but also for
prescription drugs taken incorrectly.

The act also substantially increases fines for both alcohol and drug
driving offences, with a first-time conviction now carrying a minimum
$1,000 fine. Impaired drivers who cause deadly accidents now face a
maximum penalty of life imprisonment; those who cause injuries face a
maximum 10 years behind bars.

"With greater public awareness and the new federal laws, our hope is
that we can all enjoy the summer without any needless death or injury
as a result of impaired driving," said MADD president Margaret Miller.

Justice Minister Rob Nicholson said most Canadians welcome the new
tougher impaired driving penalties.

"As of July 2, if you are caught driving impaired, you will be held
fully accountable for your actions," said Nicholson.

While the message has gotten through to the most Albertans that
impaired driving is a dangerous and unnecessary thing to do, sadly
there is a minority that continues to flaunt common sense.

If everyone would simply learn the lesson that drinking and drugging
shouldn't be mixed with driving, then all these new penalties wouldn't
be necessary and police officers could spend more of their valuable
time hunting child molesters and other such scum.

No one is advocating prohibition of liquor in Alberta - but everyone
wants, indeed demands, safer streets and highways.

"In Alberta, hundreds of people are killed by drunk drivers, so the
need has been there for a long time," said MP Bob Mills. "I think
it'll make a difference." Hopefully drivers who may have been tempted,
for whatever reason, to get behind the wheel after getting liquored up
or high on drugs, will now think twice. If they don't, at least the
public can breathe a little easier knowing that drunk and drugged up
motorists will now be pouring more of their hard earned cash into
provincial coffers and/or spending more and more time behind bars.