MADD CAMPAIGN FIGHTS DRUG-IMPAIRED DRIVING

One man describes killing his pregnant wife and two friends. Another
man talks of solitary confinement and nearly killing his best buddy.
Then there are the harrowing deaths of five Ottawa high school
students killed because a designated driver smoked a joint.

These are some impaired driving stories depicted in Mind Control, a
multimedia presentation produced by Mothers Against Drunk Driving
being shown at all city and county high schools this week.

It's a 45-minute multimedia experience aimed at students and laced
with compelling, heart-wrenching testimonials. Last night, the public
could view the presentation at Thomas A. Stewart Secondary School.

"Most of the students really enjoyed the show. It shows realistic
situations and actual real life testimonials," said Shanza Mohammed, a
school outreach field representative for MADD.

"These people have been affected and the idea is to impact at least
one student's life. If they get put in a situation hopefully they'll
make the right choices."

MADD has teamed up with the Peterborough Awareness Drug Coalition
locally as part of this week's national Drug Awareness campaign.

This year organizers are pushing the theme of drug-impaired
driving.

"There seems to be statistically more people that are combining
alcohol with other drugs especially marijuana," said Peterborough
County-City Health Unit public health nurse Marilyn Dyck. "There is an
attitude they think marijuana is a safer drug and it still changes the
way we think, act and feel just the same as other drugs."

A shift in attitude towards marijuana impaired driving is going to
take some time, Dyck said, noting parents need to be educated along
with students.

The federal government announced legislation this week to crack down
on drug-impaired drivers and strengthen the laws on alcohol-impaired
driving as well.

City police high school liaison officer Const. Marc Habgood said the
new legislation should give police new powers to combat the problem.

"Right now if they're charged with impaired by alcohol they are under
obligation to provide samples of their breath ... if they are impaired
by a narcotic there are no legal ways to support that evidence other
than physical appearances," he said.

"We can't force anybody to take a blood or urine test and we're hoping
this legislation will force these drivers to undergo a field sobriety
test."