Pubdate: Mon, 11 Jul 2016
Source: Toronto 24hours (CN ON)
Copyright: 2016 Canoe Inc.
Contact:  http://24hrs.ca/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/4068
Author: Antonella Artuso
Page: 3

THE TOKE-ALYZER

Measures set to reduce pot-impaired driving

Canadians suspected of driving while high could be required to submit
to a roadside saliva test that identifies the use of marijuana,
cocaine and opioids.

An oral fluid test is one of the suggestions from a discussion paper
released on June 30 by the Task Force on Marijuana Legalization and
Regulation.

"We'll scream blue bloody murder if it's not in place before
legalization," MADD Canada CEO Andrew Murie said.

While the task force is looking at the oral fluid test - a roadside
saliva swab - for the detection of marijuana use, the test can also
reveal the presence of other drugs such as cocaine, ecstasy, opioids
and amphetamine.

A State Farm Insurance survey of Canadian attitudes toward marijuana
use and driving raised some red flags in the spring.

One-quarter of people polled didn't believe or know that pot-impaired
driving can be as bad as drunk driving.

The majority of people polled thought the justice system was
unprepared to deal with the fallout of legalizing marijuana.

While it's true that the impairment is different than that of
booze-fuelled motoring - which tends to encourage speeding - it's no
less dangerous, he said.

A driver who's high tends to drive far too slowly and make very wide
motions, including turns, Murie said.

Coroners investigating traffic fatalities find dead drivers are more
likely to have drugs in their system than alcohol - a "scary" 40%
more, Murie said.

Yet only about 2.6% of all criminal impaired charges laid across the
country last year were for drugs - proof that reforms are required, he
insisted.

Beginning on Oct. 2, police in Ontario will be able to issue
escalating roadside driving suspensions of three, seven or 30 days if
the officer has a "reasonable belief" that the driver is impaired by
drugs.

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Warnings should be put on legal pot

The federal government's task force on marijuana should look to
restrictions for cigarettes when considering how legal pot should be
packaged, the Canadian Cancer Society's Rob Cunningham says.

The federal government has restricted who and what can appear on
tobacco packaging.

Currently, the feds are considering following the lead of places like
Australia which mandate plain tobacco packs with just the company name
in white print and a health warning on an unattractive background colour.

A task force discussion paper says legalized pot could be subject to
packaging and labelling requirements "both to protect children and to
ensure adult users have the necessary information to make informed
choices."

Child-proof containers and health labels are under consideration by
the task force.

The CCS does not have a position on marijuana legislation or policy,
Cunningham said.
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MAP posted-by: Matt