Pubdate: Sat, 18 Nov 2006
Source: Nanaimo News Bulletin (CN BC)
Copyright: 2006, BC Newspaper Group
Contact:  http://www.nanaimobulletin.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/948
Author: Russell Barth

DRUGGED DRIVING LAW UNJUSTIFIED

To the Editor,

Re: New drugged driving laws. How can the government justify this new 
affront to our civil rights and liberties?

Remember, this is the same government who wants to crack down on a 
crime rate that has been steadily dropping.

Imagine this scenario: someone is driving around, stoned on 
tranquilizers, painkillers, cold-medications or some combination 
thereof. The driver gets pulled over and appears to the police 
officer to be visibly impaired. The driver blows zero for alcohol and 
his urine and blood samples test negative for illegal drugs.That 
driver is free to go and repeat the offence.

But if the driver tests positive for even trace amounts of marijuana, 
which may show up in the body for up to three months, they will be 
booked for impaired driving.

Clearly, this new drugged driving legislation is designed 
specifically to profile marijuana users.

How medical marijuana users will fare in this new pogrom is yet to be seen.

The new law will likely ignore the dangers of other impairment 
factors such as a coffee, cigarettes, cell phones, rowdy pets and 
passengers, over-the-counter or prescription medications, blood-sugar 
imbalances, fatigue, inexperience, bad driving habits, old-age and 
just plain old stupidity.

To focus on any one thing is arbitrary and discriminatory.

So much for Canada being a just society.

Russell Barth

Ottawa
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MAP posted-by: Elaine