PLAN NEEDED

The federal government should be applauded for its decision to
crackdown on drivers who are impaired due to drug use.

Prime Minister Stephen Harper announced Friday new legislation that
would provide law enforcement officials with the tools needed to
detect drug-impaired drivers.

Anything that can be done to prevent accidents caused by impaired
drivers on the roadways should be done.

Here comes the usual list of ifs, ands or buts.

While new legislation is a step in the right direction, that step
will never lead anywhere without a great deal of money to back it up.

In order for such legislation to be useful -- useable even --
officials need to be provided with the tools necessary to do the job.
In this case, the key is having a means to test drivers for drug impairment.

That's a sticky area. Many of the drug tests currently available to
police only indicate if a drug is present in a person's system, but
fail to provide concrete evidence of when a drug was consumed and to
what level it is affecting the body.

Until, better testing options are available any legislation is of
little use. While it will cost money to develop those testing
options, it's worth the cost.

It will only be the beginning, however. Civil liberties will surely
be called in to question and law enforcement officials will be forced
to follow criteria regarding when a test can be administered and
under what circumstances.

Those civil liberties are important and so are human lives.

That's why it's critical this announcement be followed up with
dollars and action, to keep Canadians safe and punish those who
jeopardize that safety.