NEW STUDY SHOWS DRUG-IMPAIRED DRIVING ON RISE

At a time of year when police are on the lookout for impaired drivers
two studies released this month should get the attention of both
lawmakers and parents.

One shows the number of drug-impaired drivers has more than doubled
since 1989, the other that more than a quarter of teenagers in
Atlantic Canada say they've hitched a ride with a drunk driver during
the past year.

The Canadian Centre on Substance Abuse indicates young men are
driving as often or perhaps more often under the influence of
marijuana or hashish than they do under the influence of alcohol.

Of 4,369 people questioned, 4.8 per cent reported driving within two
hours of using cannabis, more than twice the proportion of a similar
sampling in 1989.

How that might translate into the number of motorists high on drugs
involved in serious traffic crashes is unclear, but the study also
reports a prevelance of those who reported driving under the
influence of cannabis also reported consuming higher-than-average
amounts of alcohol.

It's alarming.

It has long been against the law to drive under the influence of
drugs. Part of the difficulty is that there isn't a test as reliable
to detect if a driver is impaired by drugs. For years, police have
been able to determine the levels of alcohol in blood through a
breath analysis machine.

The fact young people are getting into vehicles with drunk drivers is
also a concern. There are plenty of programs aimed at educating young
people about the perils of driving while impaired. In addition,
police have been running spot checks for impaired drivers for years.

This news comes at a time when the federal government is considering
increasing the minimum fine to $1,000 for a first drug-or
alcohol-related driving offence (from $600). An increase in jail time
would follow with second and third offences.

It's frustrating.

Those who have chosen to drink - or consume drugs - and drive are
putting themselves and their passengers at risk.

More importantly, they put countless other innocent people at risk
when they drink or use drugs and drive.