(The Canadian Press)

By Nigel Maxwell

Impaired driving

Significant number of young adults admit to driving while high, new report says

Sep 21, 2020 | 2:00 PM

One fifth of people aged between 18 and 24 admit they have driven high or been a passenger in a vehicle driven by a high driver, according to new research from the Canadian Automobile Association (CAA).

The finding points to the need for more public education to make sure everyone understands the risks of driving high, according to Ian Jack, vice president, public affairs at CAA.

“Gen Z is a very socially conscious generation that understands the dangers of driving drunk,” Jack said. “But there is a significant group who don’t associate the same risky behaviour with smoking cannabis or doing edibles.”

Jack explained edibles compound the issue since the effects can take longer to manifest, and last longer. CAA’s new national video campaign, Do Anything But Drive, carries a message for Gen Z: if you’re going to do edibles, do anything but drive.

“Whatever else you choose to do, please make sure you don’t get behind the wheel. Plan ahead. Make arrangements for a safe way home, be it a designated driver, a taxi or rideshare, or staying over, just like you would after drinking,” he said.

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The Dräger DrugTest 5000 is a tool used by police to detect traces of cannabis for drivers who have been pulled over. (Prince Albert Police)

For 2020, the Prince Albert Police service has laid four charges for drug impaired driving.

“None of them were cannabis, and none of them were teenagers. They were all some form of a depressant like an anxiety med,” Sgt. Brian Glynn told paNOW.

Earlier this month, a 35-year-old man received a three-day suspension for traces of cannabis. The man was stopped at a special SGI check stop. Glynn said he was encouraged by the fact that there have been no youth charged with driving while impaired.

“There’s more people [in the city] driving on methamphetamine, which is troubling, to us,” he added.

Since February 2019, the Prince Albert Police Service had a special tool at its disposal to help weed out impaired drivers.

The Dräger DrugTest 5000 provides results within about five minutes. Once a swab of a person’s mouth is taken, the swab is placed inside the testing machine for analysis. The machine then prints out the results of the drug test onto a sheet of paper. Glynn said the device was used during the traffic blitz last month.

“The fact that we haven’t had any charges is a really good sign for our youth in Prince Albert and with the legalization of cannabis, and if people are doing the right thing by not getting behind the wheel, then me not being able to reports stats is a good thing,” he said.

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nigel.maxwell@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @nigelmaxwell