Pubdate: Fri, 12 Dec 2014
Source: Enterprise-Bulletin, The (CN ON)
Copyright: 2014, Collingwood Enterprise Bulletin
Contact: http://www.theenterprisebulletin.com/letters
Website: http://www.theenterprisebulletin.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/2267
Author: Paul Brian
Page: A1

DRUG-IMPAIRED DRIVING A CONCERN

The number of provincial drunk driving charges are down compared to 
2013, but drug-impaired driving rates have substantially increased.

According to OPP statistics, in 2014 up to the end of September, 
5,685 impaired charges were laid by the OPP, down 17% from the same 
period in 2013 which saw 6,842 impaired charges laid; however, 
compared to the same period in 2013, there was a 32% increase in 2014 
in the number of drug-impaired driving occurrences.

"The number one drug is cannabis, and that's the one that we see the 
most of," said Sergeant Dave Wallbank, coordinator for the OPP's Drug 
Evaluation and Classification Program, reminding people that 
possession and smoking of cannabis is illegal and significantly 
impairs driving.

Wallbank said there are also several new drugs being promoted in 
popular culture and some parts of the media that drivers are 
increasingly being caught using.

One of these is 'sizzurp,' ('purple drank') a blend of prescription 
cough syrup containing promethazine and codeine. It is often mixed 
with a soft drink with effects that mimic those of alcohol. Wallbank 
referenced American singer Miley Cyrus, for example, who routinely 
promotes a degenerate lifestyle and the use of psychologically and 
physically harmful drugs in her music and videos.

"There's a lot of different things going on in the culture right now, 
especially there's a popular thing, especially with musicians now 
called 'sizzurp,'" Wallbank said, noting there was a song about the 
substance put out by the band Far East Movement. "Miley Cyrus has a 
couple of songs out about the drug culture and taking 'molly' [MDMA, 
or 'ecstasy'] and stuff like that. The actual album cover for that 
song 'We Can't Stop,' shows a red cup and that's what it refers to is 
drinking 'sizzurp.'"

Many other figures in American popular culture also promote the use 
of illegal drugs, committing of violent acts and misogynistic 
violence, particularly in rap music.

Another concern for Wallbank is the recreational abuse or improper 
use of prescription drugs, including antidepressants, by drivers.

"There's a large increase in people using antidepressants and 
different types of drugs including oxycodone, central nervous system 
depressant drugs," he said, noting people should only take 
prescriptions a doctor has prescribed to them in accordance with the 
rules including, if required, the non-use of heavy machinery which 
includes driving a vehicle. "Usually they're lethargic, extremely 
lethargic and they're falling asleep. A lot of these calls come in as 
about a tired driver falling asleep at the wheel and a lot of times 
that's what they'll say, that they 'think they're just tired and 
falling asleep.' But a lot of times after further investigation as we 
do the SFST it comes out that they are taking prescription 
medications or medications that weren't prescribed to them."

A big part of stamping out drug-impaired driving, in addition to 
working to end illegal drug use altogether, is making drivers aware 
that there is a process for determining and charging them with 
impaired driving if they are under the influence of drugs.

"It seems one of the main factors in the younger crowd, at least the 
teen to mid-30 crowd is detectability, ultimately," Wallbank said, 
noting that a Standard Field Sobriety Test (SFST) can be administered 
roadside followed by a more thorough drug screening back at the 
detachment to catch drug-impaired drivers.

"It has to do with the signs. People still exhibit signs of 
impairment and they usually have indications with their eyes," 
Wallbank said, noting the legislation for his program only came 
through in 2008 and that it is still being fully implemented. "If an 
officer stops somebody at the side of the road and they believe 
there's impairment and there are no signs of alcohol but there's 
obviously something wrong with the person they can demand an SFST at 
the side of the road."

Wallbank said that there are still not a lot of SFST-trained officers 
in Ontario. The OPP has around 400 SFST-trained officers. In total, 
the OPP has around 5,500 officers, of whom around 2,300 are actually 
on the road and in the field.

"If you take in the municipal agencies also, it's around 1,300 
officers in the province who are trained [in SFST]," Wallbank said, 
going on to detail the process of charging a suspected-drug-impaired 
driver. "If they fail the SFST the person gets arrested and 
transported back to the station and at the station they would go 
before what's called a Drug Recognition Evaluator and that person 
does another test and then at the conclusion of that test the Drug 
Recognition Evaluator will make a determination whether he believes 
that person is impaired and under what drug category he believes the 
person to be impaired."

Wallbank noted that unless illegal drugs are actually seized, 
possession charges wouldn't be laid and the individual would still be 
charged under the same category as driving while impaired by alcohol 
under 253 (a) of the Criminal Code of Canada, which covers impairment 
by both alcohol or drugs.
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