POLICE ADD DRUG RECOGNITION AS PART OF RIDE

Impaired driving is never limited to those who drink alcohol before
getting behind the wheel.

Now, after changes to provincial legislation, officers are trained as
experts in testing differences between the effects of various substances.

"We're talking about prescription drugs, too," noted Olaf Heinzel,
public affairs coordinator with the Waterloo regional police. "Our
drug recognition experts have to have training in a variety of other
substances than alcohol."

All officers are trained to recognize signs of impairment - based on
many categories of drugs - but only a handful of regional police
officers are trained as experts in testing, noted Heinzel.

"We now have more tools available than we did in the past to check
for impairment," he said.

Three drug recognition expert tests, say police, were conducted
during weeklong Oktoberfest celebrations in Waterloo Region, which
ended recently.

Before changes to provincial legislation a driver suspected of being
impaired due to a drug had to agree to a test before one could be conducted.

This year's Oktoberfest marked the first time those tests were
included in statistical data released after Oktoberfest by the
regional police service.

"It is a relatively new area for Ontario," Heinzel said of the
legislation that now requires a number of officers across the
province to be trained in the drug recognition testing.

"We're still learning as we go. It's still evolving."

About 20 per cent of high school-aged drivers in the province
reported that they drove within one hour of using marijuana at least
once in the year before the Ontario Drug Use Survey, conducted in
2003, according to online information from Canada's Department of Justice.

Data related to the drug recognition tests, noted Heinzel, will now
be collected and tracked, just like they do with breathalyzer tests.

During Oktoberfest this year, 100 roadside breathalyzer tests for
alcohol were conducted; there was one impaired driving charge and
four charges against people with an alleged illegal amount of alcohol
in their bloodstream.

During Oktoberfest 2007, 104 breathalyzer tests were conducted; there
were three impaired driving charges laid, and six charges against
people suspected to have more alcohol in their blood than legally
allowed, according to regional police.

"By having numbers to work with at least we'll have some sort of tool
. that can direct our awareness programs," Heinzel said of the drug tests.

He did remind that Oktoberfest was one week out of 52, and that the
drug recognition tests are now conducted at all RIDE programs or traffic stops.