PUTTING THE BRAKES ON DRIVERS IMPAIRED BY DRUGS

Drivers who insist on getting behind the wheel while under the
influence of drugs will now face license suspensions after changes to
the Alberta Administrative License Suspension (AALS) program.

Under the provincial Traffic Safety Act, AALS was expended to include
driving suspensions for drivers who may have been influenced by
drugs, either prescription or illegal.

And drivers charged with drug-related impaired driving offenses will
see their licenses suspended for at least three months.

The courts can issue suspensions and disqualifications for three or
six months. And in some cases, they are effective immediately or a
21-day temporary permit is issued first.

Lacombe Police Cst. Steve Murray said the new legislation is yet
another tool officers can use to keep the communities they serve safe
and that it has been long over due.

"This is a tool we've been needing for some time, because it's not
just the drivers who are impaired by alcohol that cause collisions,
that cause fatalities," said Murray. "The fact that this legislation
has been brought into place sends a message about the dangers and
consequences of driving while impaired by drugs and it also addresses
that it is a problem in society."

The legislation gets further backing from Bill C-2, passed by the
federal government in July 2008, which included new rules involving
testing for drug-related driving offences. Prior to the change,
officers could ask you to provide a sample to prove you were not
impaired, but were left with little recourse if you refused to
provide a sample. With this law, police can demand a blood or urine
test for drugs from someone they believe may be impaired.

"When someone consumes alcohol, we better understand the biochemistry
that takes place," said Murray. "There are tell tale signs that
someone has been drinking and we know what to look for. But with
street drugs, because the person using them can never tell what
they're actually getting, it can be a lot harder to know what to look
for. The effects can't be accurately predicted.

"Being able to get samples from drivers we suspect are under the
influence will help eliminate unsafe roadway users."

Police have done mandatory testing for alcohol-related driving
offences for years and drivers can be charged for refusing a
breathalyzer. Testing under the new legislation could include anyone
that may be under the influence, even if under the influence of
prescription drugs.

According to Murray, impaired driving offences are something the
local police service deals with quite regularly.

"We do see a lot of impaired drivers in Lacombe," he said. "Typically
we deal with several a week and we are clearly seeing more impaired by drugs."