BLOOD SAMPLES TO HELP SMOKE OUT DOPED-UP DRIVERS

The federal government is cracking down on doped-up drivers. Yesterday the
Liberal government tabled measures to aid law enforcement by giving police
the power to conduct tests and demand a saliva, urine or blood sample from
those suspected of being stoned behind the wheel.

Justice Minister Irwin Cotler said the legislation will effectively make
voluntary measures mandatory. Refusal to comply would be a criminal offence.

"All we're doing is providing the police with the necessary authority, the
necessary power, to engage in drug-related testing in the same way they do
alcohol-related testing," he said.

But Cotler didn't back up the legislative reform with any new cash,
suggesting instead the provinces will be responsible for the funding.

NEED FUNDING

The Canadian Professional Police Association supports the crackdown, but
insists there be sufficient funds to train and equip officers. The $910,000
in five-year funding announced last fall is woefully "insufficient," said
Sophie Roux, a CPPA spokeswoman.

Under the new law, officers would first conduct a sobriety test at the
roadside. If the officer suspects the driver is drug-impaired, a drug
recognition expert would evaluate the person at the police station. A blood
sample would identify the specific type of drug.

Cotler said he's confident the legislation will stand up to potential
Charter challenges. He called it good "companion" legislation to the
decriminalization of marijuana, now in the final stages in the House of
Commons.

Conservative MP Vic Toews said the decriminalization bill will lead to more
drugged-up drivers on the roads, and questioned if the new measures will
keep roads safe.

"This bill is obviously intended to allay fears, but as a former Crown
prosecutor I know how difficult it will be to actually prove that an
individual has been driving under the influence of non-medicinal drugs," he
said.