Pubdate: Mon, 06 Jun 2016
Source: Toronto Sun (CN ON)
Page: 10
Copyright: 2016 Canoe Limited Partnership
Contact: http://www.torontosun.com/letter-to-editor
Website: http://torontosun.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/457
Author: Maryam Shah

HIGH TIME FOR NEW LAW

Cops Will Get Powers to Deal With Drugs and Driving

While many have concerns about legalized marijuana, alcohol is still 
the biggest problem among impaired drivers.

"The reality is, drug is on the low side versus alcohol, which is on 
the high side," said Toronto Police Const. Clint Stibbe.

Still, Toronto cops will soon have beefed up enforcement powers to 
deal with drug-impaired drivers.

By this fall, police across Ontario will be able to penalize 
drug-impaired drivers in the same way they do with drunk drivers.

Transportation ministry spokesman Bob Nichols said new legislation is 
needed to fill a gap.

"Currently, under Ontario's Highway Traffic Act, the police cannot 
immediately remove drivers from the road who they reasonably believe 
are impaired by drugs, including - but not limited to - marijuana," 
he wrote in an e-mail.

Essentially the following drunk driving sanctions will extend to 
drug-impaired drivers:

Escalating short-term licence suspensions of three, seven, and 30 days.

The imposition of a 90-day licence suspension - along with impounding 
a vehicle for seven days - following testing by an officer.

The province's legislative changes don't set legal limits for THC - 
the active ingrediant in marijuana - in a person's blood stream. 
Ottawa will have to change the Criminal Code if it wants police to 
use roadside screening devices to detect stoned motorists, added Nichols.

MADD Canada wants to see the government introduce saliva-based 
roadside testing for pot.

"I hope that comes along long before they legalize," said CEO Andrew Murie.

He has more faith in saliva-based testing than blood tests, which are 
done in the U.S.

"It tests recent use of drugs," he noted. "It doesn't pick up any metabolites."

A recent AAA study in the U.S. showed legal limits were useless for 
marijuana and impaired driving enforcement.

But Murie said that study, based on a system that uses blood tests in 
the U.S., doesn't apply north of the border, where he expects 
saliva-based testing introduced.

"In the U.S. system, no one is using saliva. I actually think they're 
behind the times," he said.

The other thing Canada needs to do is set legal limits for different 
drugs, Murie added.

"It's like Parliament saying, if you're driving above this level, 
you've committed a crime."

The province's transportation ministry has funded a study which will 
examine the issue of setting legal limits for THC, Nichols noted.

- - With files from The Washington Post
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom