Pubdate: Wed, 18 May 2005
Source: Ottawa Sun (CN ON)
Copyright: 2005 Canoe Limited Partnership
Contact:  http://www.ottawasun.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/329
Author: Nelly Elayoubi
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/find?224 (Cannabis and Driving)

VIDEO HIGHLIGHTS TRAGIC RESULT OF TOKING, DRIVING

Marilyn Record tries to keep her composure as she wipes her wet eyes with a 
tissue, reminiscing about her dead son.

The sound of Dustin Record bursting through the front door, his laughter 
filling the house, or stories of his basketball practice have been replaced 
with a silence that still haunts Marilyn today.

"He was the love of my life," she said.

Dustin and his four close friends -- Stan Thomson, 18, Alan Siew, 17, David 
Rider, 16, and Homoyoun Chaudry, 17 -- died in a horrific four-vehicle 
crash in June 1999.

BROKEN HEART

Dustin was 17. Today, he'd be 23. Through his untimely and premature death, 
Marilyn learned the true meaning of the unremitting emptiness of a broken 
heart.

"Nothing ever takes the place of your son. Ever," she said.

The two occupants of a pickup truck involved in the crash, Max Beyore, 37, 
and Tim Cole, 35, were seriously injured and Beyore has since had his leg 
amputated.

Almost six years later, the crash has resurfaced and is highlighted in a 
video to be distributed in schools across Canada.

MADD Canada, the RCMP, the Canadian Association of Chiefs of Police and the 
Toronto Police Service came together to produce the 20-minute video, Not 
Ready To Go, that chronicles the events of the 14 friends returning from a 
party to celebrate the end of the school year.

TIMELY EFFORT

It's especially timely as schools across the country ready for the end of 
the year with the added temptations of warm weather and partying.

The organizations hope that the disturbing images of the dead teens' bodies 
on the side of the road will remain stamped in the minds of teenagers and 
make them think twice before driving impaired or getting into a vehicle 
with someone who has been drinking or taking drugs.

"The reality is it's not pretty and that needs to be put forward," said 
MADD Canada's national President Karen Dunham.

The teen responsible for the collision later admitted in court to smoking 
marijuana on the night of the crash.

This is the first time Canadian cops have taken the issue of drugs and 
driving into schools as more and more teens choose toking over drinking, 
said RCMP Chief Supt. Raf Souccar, who is also vice-chair of the CACP Drug 
Abuse committee.

Pot has become more easily accessible, even more so than alcohol and 
cigarettes.

Debate over the decriminalization of pot doesn't help, Souccar added, 
because it creates a misconception that marijuana is a safe drug and can be 
used while driving.

PROPOSED LEGISLATION

Legislation introduced last October would make it mandatory for those 
suspected of drug-impaired driving to provide a body fluid sample.

The organizations coming together to make the video are pushing for the 
legislation to be passed, with growing concern it will be dropped should 
Parliament be dissolved.

"If someone's life can be saved, I can take that as a positive," Marilyn said.
- ---
MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom