Justice minister heralds stronger enforcement of drug-impaired driving
New legislation takes effect Wednesday
Last Updated: Friday, June 27, 2008 11:49 AM ET Comments117Recommend36
CBC News
Police forces across Canada will have new powers to crack down on drug-impaired driving after the holiday weekend, federal Justice Minister Rob Nicholson reminded Canadians on Friday.
Beginning Wednesday, officers will be able to gather evidence against drivers suspected of being high behind the wheel.
Drug-impaired driving is already a Criminal Code offence, but the new legislation will compel those drivers to take a roadside test, such as walking a straight line.
'We are today with drugs and driving where we were with alcohol and driving 15 years ago.'—Gregg Thomson, father of teen killed in accident
They can also be taken to a police station for more intensive tests. If they fail those, they could be ordered to give a blood, urine or saliva sample.
Refusing the roadside test would be a criminal offence, as is the case for refusing a breathalyzer.
"As of July 2, if you are caught driving impaired, you will be held fully accountable for your actions,” Nicholson said as he and representatives of Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) praised the new measures.
Stan Thomson was 18 when he and four friends were killed in a car crash nine years ago. They were involved in a pileup outside Ottawa that was triggered by a teenager in the group of friends who pulled out to pass. He and the others had been smoking marijuana.
Father takes on mission
Thomson's father, Gregg of Kanata, Ont., has been campaigning against drug-impaired driving since his son's death.
"We are today with drugs and driving where we were with alcohol and driving 15 years ago. We are that far behind the curve, so many more people are going to die before we get this resolved," he said.
Doug Beirness, a research manager with the Canadian Centre on Substance Abuse, said the problem of drug-impaired driving may not be at the level of drunk driving, but it's still substantial.
"When we look at data from drivers who die on the roadways, up to 30 per cent of them test positive for some substance other than alcohol," he said.
The new law will also cover impairment from prescription drugs that have been taken incorrectly.
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The recently announced move to giving police the ability to test those suspected of ‘drug driving’ is controversial. It is unclear to date what specific rights the police will have, and what could serve as an indicator that someone is driving under the influence of drugs. Yet, this legislation surely is a step in the right direction. Using drugs and driving is a serious problem, and one that the father of Stan Thomson is right to tackle. We look forward to receiving more information on this legislation, and how it will affect motorists.

Trudeau explains impaired-driving episode
The Canadian Press
June 26, 2008
Toronto -- Two years after revealing her struggle with bipolar disorder, Margaret Trudeau brought her continued war against the stigma of mental illness to a Toronto audience yesterday, complete with a contrite explanation of her recent drunk-driving acquittal.
Ms. Trudeau said she was driving home from a barbecue on May 30, 2004, after having "too much wine to drink" when she was stopped by police. After a lengthy legal battle, she was acquitted last month when a judge ruled police violated her Charter rights.
"I shouldn't have got off. I was over the limit ... I honestly did not know that I had had too much to drink," she said.
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Margaret Trudeau’s acquittal from impaired driving charges presents interesting questions. While it is great that she has admitted to having been under the influence, it is too bad that people are able to get away with such behaviour, even if they do not intend to act in this way. The article cites a Charter violation as being the reason that Trudeau was acquitted. This highlights the interesting predicament that arises when the process of charging someone is unjust, and people are able to slip through the system. This is central to our justice system, yet Trudeau herself has recognized that it was also unjust for her to have gotten away scot-free. This is certainly a complex issue! Feel free to leave a comment if you have any thoughts on this matter.

With NSAIDD Day approaching, it’s time to start thinking about what you’d like to do at your school for the big day- October 21^st! There is a link below that should be helpful in planning your event. While it is attached to another organization, you can check it out for useful general tips concerning event planning, and tailor it to what you want to do for NSAIDD Day. If you have any suggestions for other issues that are relevant to you in planning your NSAIDD Day event, please feel free to post them in the Comments section! Check back soon for more information of this sort.

Click here for an event planning guide from STAND (Students Taking Action Now: Darfur).

Drinking, driving lesson fails common sense test

Hoax by school officials included telling students their friends were dead

Jun 13, 2008 04:30 AM

Allison Hoffman
ASSOCIATED PRESS

OCEANSIDE, Calif.–On a Monday morning last month, California Highway Patrol officers visited 20 classrooms at El Camino High School to announce horrible news: Several students had been killed in car wrecks over the weekend.

Classmates wept. Some became hysterical.

A few hours and many tears later, though, the pain turned to fury when the teenagers learned that it was all a hoax – a scared-straight exercise designed by school officials to dramatize the consequences of drinking and driving.

As seniors prepared for today's graduation parties, school officials in the prosperous San Diego suburb were defending themselves against allegations they went too far.

"They were traumatized, but we wanted them to be traumatized,'' said guidance counsellor Lori Tauber, who helped organize the shocking exercise and got dozens of students to participate. "That's how they get the message.''

At school assemblies, some students held posters stating: "Death is real. Don't play with our emotions."

Michelle de Gracia, 16, was in physics class when an officer announced that her missing classmate David, a popular basketball player, had died instantly after being rear-ended by a drunk driver. She said she felt nauseated but was too stunned to cry. "They got the shock they wanted," she said.

Some classmates became extremely upset, prompting the teacher to tell them it was all staged.

"People started yelling at the teacher," she said. "It was pretty hectic.''

School officials had intended to reveal the truth at assembly late in the day but word leaked out earlier that it was a hoax.

"You feel betrayed by your teachers and administrators, these people you trust," said Carolyn Magos, 15. "But then I felt selfish for feeling that way, because, I mean, if it saves one life, it's worth it.''

The school division said it fielded only a few calls from parents about the program, while the PTA chapter said it got no complaints.

Oceanside Schools superintendent Larry Perondi said the program would be revised.

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The tactics of certain California educators in promoting unimpaired driving has received much attention. The stunt understandably angered several students, who naturally reacted with much emotion both when they were told that their fellow students had died, and when they had found out that it was a hoax. Unfortunately, this method seems to have drawn more attention towards questionable teaching practices than the issue of impaired driving itself. While the intent was well-placed, we may ask whether a more sustainable and productive method of engaging with the issue of impaired driving is to educate students and allow decisions to be made. That said, as student Caroly Magos noted in the article, if the exercise saved the life of one student, perhaps it had a place.

End of Week Blog June 5

There has been a lot of talk this week about the TTC bus driver who went to work while intoxicated. Many people are angry because of the great responsibility that accompanies the position. In response to the incident, the TTC is considering having drug and alcohol tests for all of its drivers. We have to remember that the drivers choosing to not drive while impaired outnumber by far those who are (with two alleged cases of impaired driving in the past two years). We also have to remember that all of those other drivers are choosing to not resort to alcohol in a way that affects other people. You too can make similar positive decisions! If you are upset or simply want a drink, take care that you will not be in a position to adversely affect others.

Until the next time!

Phones, drivers, bad mix

CBC News

Jun 02, 2008 04:30 AM

Safety experts say that people who use cellphones while driving are slow to react to the dangers around them. Durham MPP John O'Toole could make the same claim about Premier Dalton McGuinty – that he has been too slow to respond to the issue.

Over the years, O'Toole, a Progressive Conservative, has introduced six private member's bills calling for a ban on the use of hand-held cellphones by drivers in Ontario. O'Toole often received favourable responses from other MPPs and from the media. But private member's bills usually need government help to pass, and McGuinty would not lend his support.

A recent spate of fatal accidents in which cellphones are suspected of playing a role has finally persuaded McGuinty that the dangers are real, however. It shouldn't have taken him this long.

Studies cited by the Insurance Bureau of Canada show that distracted drivers are dangerous drivers. One U.S. study estimated that driver distraction is a factor in 80 per cent of car crashes in North America. Another said that drivers talking on cellphones are often just as impaired as drunk drivers. And a third found that experienced drivers are no better at handling the distraction of a cellphone than novices.

That's why more than 50 countries and three Canadian provinces have already moved to restrict cellphone use by drivers.

Perhaps to compensate for his dithering on the issue, McGuinty is talking about going further than a ban on just cellphones to other potential distractions to drivers, such as BlackBerrys and GPS devices. McGuinty has asked Transportation Minister Jim Bradley to look at "next generation" legislation that would automatically restrict the use of all devices (as well as those that haven't been invented yet) that preoccupy drivers who should be concentrating on the road.

Fine, but a study of all possible future distractions should not become an excuse for further delay of a ban on cellphone use by drivers.

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While it is unfortunate that it has taken Ontario leaders so long to recognize the dangers of distracted driving, it is good to see that legislative actions are finally being taken to reduce the frequency of crashes involving distracted driving. To be sure, there is a degree of convenience in being able to speak on one’s cell phone or use other such tools while driving. However, convenience must be balanced against the potential risks to the public. In this case, it is clear that the harms resulting from the use of cell phones and other electronic devices on the road outweigh the benefits of being able to communicate while in transit.

The statistics cited in this article are troubling, but sadly no surprise. Distracted driving has recently received a spurt of media coverage for its role in local crashes. Given distracted driving’s position in the limelight, now is the time to act in promoting legislation that bans the use of distracting tools while driving. This can be the first step in eliminating instances of dangerous and/or distracted driving.

It is our hope at the Student Life Education Company that Ontario will follow Newfoundland & Labrador, Nova Scotia, and Quebec in legislating against the use of cell phones in cars. Such actions are sure to reduce incidents of tragic road crashes. You can help support this initiative by writing to Premier Dalton McGuinty in support of the legislation. You can do this by sending in feedback on his website by following this link: https://www.premier.gov.on.ca/feedback/feedback.asp, or by regular mail at:

Dalton McGuinty, Premier
Legislative Building
Queen's Park
Toronto ON M7A 1A1

Nicola

Month of sadness, hardship and hope!

This month we have seen numerous news stories about fatal car crashes involving youth. Almost everyday when I check the news there is a story of a young person my age involved in an impaired or distracted crash. Youth my age have lost their lives due to impaired and distracted driving. To me, that is saddening to see. I bet it is not a pleasant experience for the parents to see their children involved in impaired and distracted driving.

There have been so many impaired and distracted driving crashes in the news that premier Dalton McGuinty took notice, as indicated by his announcement that he would work towards banning the use of cell phones and other technological devices. It is nice to hear premier Dalton McGuinty acknowledging that this is a serious problem, and that lives are lost due to impaired and distracted driving. It looks like now we have to play the waiting game to see if Dalton McGuinty can deliver on the new proposition to ban the use of cell phones and other devices behind the wheel.

Impaired and distracted driving is a real issue across this nation. Impaired and distracted driving has an impact on everyone from youth to elders. This month in particular I have seen a significant number of accidents resulting from impaired and distracted drivers, many of them involving youth. As a youth living in Canada, the impaired and distracted driving crashes in relation to the youth hit close to home because these are my peers, my friends, and my generation.

There are moments of sadness and hardship, but there is hope! Hope that one day no one will be involved in an impaired and distracted driving crash. You have the power to make that hope come alive in your life and the lives around you. In 1999 a large group of students came together to make a healthier choice by saying no to impaired and distracted driving. The students started the National Students against Impaired and Distracted Driving Day, which has become an annual event, reaching over 500,000 students annually. These youth brought hope that one day there would be no one would be involved in impaired and distracted driving, and today their message lives on. You have the power to join these remarkable students and help save the lives of young Canadians!

Our organization, the Student Life Education Company, has been promoting healthier choices for over two decades and we proudly continue to do so today. We do our best to help save the lives of Canadian students, and that includes trying our best to prevent impaired and distracted driving. We know you have the power to do the same. Come join us in Ottawa on Tuesday October 21^st for the 10^th annual NSAIDD Day. We will be releasing more information concerning this event in the near future.

For more information be sure to check out our website:

http://www.studentlifeeducation.com

We can also be found on Facebook: http://apps.facebook.com/causes/88446?recruiter_id=11246406

Also be sure to check out our brand new blog!

http://nsaiddday.blogspot.com/

Tim Sond

Power, you have it in you!

You have the power to make a huge change! You’re the hero, be the difference!

Wondering how you can make a difference? Thousands of students across Canada are saying yes to zero blood alcohol concentration levels and no to distractions when they go behind the wheel. These same students also believe they have the power to avoid distractions while driving. These decisions are saving their lives and the lives of others. Why not join them?

You have the power to make a significant change in your community! I’m working with the NSAIDD program and we have 10 years of experience working with youth. In 1999 at the Canadian Youth against Impaired Driving (CYAID) Conference students came together to create this program, which was created and is run by students. These students believe they have the power to stop impaired and distracted driving. Since 1999 this movement has spread across the country. Now more than 500,000 students are taking part in the NSAIDD Day call to action. I know students who believe in a cause will unite to make a positive difference; I have seen it across this nation.

We have heroes across Canada who are making healthier choices in their lives and others. I am fortunate to be working on the 10^th anniversary of NSAIDD Day. Our organization, the Student Life Education Company, has been promoting healthier choices for over two decades and we proudly continue to do so today. We do our best to help save the lives of Canadian students and that includes trying our best to help save them from impaired and distracted driving. We know you have the power to do the same.

For more information be sure to check out our website:

http://www.studentlifeeducation.com

We can also be found on facebook: http://apps.facebook.com/causes/88446?recruiter_id=11246406

Canucks' Luc Bourdon dies in motorcycle crash

CBC News

Vancouver Canucks defenseman Luc Bourdon, who helped Canada win gold medals at the 2006 and 2007 world junior hockey championships, died in a motorcycle accident on Thursday. He was 21.

Police in New Brunswick said Bourdon was driving his motorcycle that collided with a transport truck on a road between Lemeque and Shippagan, his hometown.

Bourdon, a solid two-way blue-liner, was the Canucks' first-round pick (10th overall) at the 2005 NHL Entry Draft. He split time this season between the Canucks and their American Hockey League affiliate in Manitoba, scoring six goals and 14 points in 41 games with the Moose.

Bourdon finished the 2007-08 NHL season with two goals and a plus-7 rating in 27 games for the Canucks, who missed the playoffs. The six-foot-two, 210-pounder scored his first NHL goal last Nov. 16, a power-play marker with two minutes left in regulation of a 6-2 win over the Minnesota Wild in Vancouver.

Bourdon finished the season with two goals and a plus-7 rating in 27 games for the Canucks, who missed the playoffs.

An excellent skater with good offensive instincts, Bourdon was instrumental in Canada's gold-medal win at the 2007 world juniors in Leksand, Sweden, posting four points in six games. He collected six points in as many games at the 2006 tournament in Vancouver, which Canada won over Russia.

Bourdon starred in junior with the Val d'Or Foreurs, Moncton Wildcats and Cape Breton Screaming Eagles of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League. He shone in his second junior season with Val d'Or in 2004-05 (32 points in 70 games) and nearly cracked the Canucks' roster out of training camp in September 2005.

Bourdon returned to the Foreurs and amassed 20 points in 20 games before being traded midseason to Moncton.

The physical rearguard signed a three-year contract with the Canucks on May 4, 2006, and began the 2006-07 campaign in Vancouver before he returned to the Wildcats after a nine-game stint.

Bourdon later joined the Canadian national junior team and shortly after his return was dealt to Cape Breton, where he notched six points in 23 games before adding 13 points in 16 playoff outings. He earned a promotion to the AHL upon Cape Breton's elimination from the playoffs and never looked back.

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On behalf of the Student Life Education Company, I am sorry to hear Luc Bourdon, a young hockey player, died in a motorcycle crash.

I’m a huge fan of hockey and follow the NHL very closely. The Stanley Cup playoffs are taking place and I’m pretty sure everyone is psyched about the dynamic match up between the Detroit Red Wings and the Pittsburg Penguins. However this story of Luc Bourdon draws some attention away from the cup final, with the hockey world taking notice.

When I first read this news story it caught my attention because it involved a sports athlete. Another reason why this story caught my attention was because the individual involved in the motorcycle was a youth my age. It feels a lot different to me when I read stories of young people my age who have died from vehicle crashes because these are my peers.

Another thing that opened my eyes is the fact that regardless of whether you’re a celebrity or a normal young adult, impaired and distracted driving can and does affect you. I realize that impaired and distracted driving is a real issue in our youth today. Now with the death of Luc Bourdon, I am certain my peers and I will reflect upon this news story.

Community mourns three young women killed in Friday night crash

Posted By Don Peat and Pete Fisher

CNEWS

Updated 10 days ago

COLBORNE - They planned to party Friday night, not to die.

But, a trip to a boyfriend’s house by a trio of friends turned fatal as their car turned into the path of a tractor-trailer. Erin Reed, 19, and Robyn Taylor, 20, of Colborne and Kandas Derry, 20, of Baltimore, all died at the scene.

Police described the T-bone collision as "an awful start to the long weekend," but that barely describes the tragic impact on the small town where the girls were known as a tight-knit, friendly and spirited trio.

It is a tragedy compounded by the fact of the three people in the silver Chevrolet Cavalier, only the driver, Ms. Reed, was wearing her seatbelt, police said. Police are continuing to investigate the crash but say it appears alcohol was not a factor.

Cramahe Township and Trent Hills fire departments and numerous ambulances from Northumberland County attended the scene. An air ambulance was called to land in Campbellford, but wasn't needed as all the women were pronounced dead at the scene.

Northumberland OPP Const. Kaitlyn Hill said the truck driver saw the car traveling in front of him around 9:39 p.m. along County Rd. 25 near Warkworth signal and then pull off onto the shoulder. The truck driver pulled to the middle of the road to avoid coming too close to the car just as the car began making a U-turn, Const. Hill said.

That’s when the two collided - the truck hitting the driver’s side of the car, pushing it off to the opposite side of the road before the trailer rolled into a nearby ditch and the front of the truck plowed several meters ahead into the ditch. The road conditions were good, the section of the road was straight and weather was not a factor at the time of the crash, Const. Hill said.

Although they weren't wearing seatbelts, passengers Robyn Taylor and Kandas Derry were not ejected from the car. Police are continuing to investigate the possibility the driver may have been distracted by another passenger. Friends said the girls may have been turning around after missing a turn to a boyfriend’s house.

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On behalf of the Student Life Education Company, we are sorry to hear three young people have died from distracted driving.

When I first read this story it immediately grasped my attention. This is because the three young girls who lost their lives are in the same age range as me. This month in particular we have seen numerous car crashes involving individuals around my age and I have to agree with the police officer in this article when he said the event marked “an awful start to the long weekend."

What is astonishing here is that these females did not wear any seat belts. The saying goes “seat belts save lives”

Distractions can play a big part in leading individuals to loose focus on a certain task. I remember I was studying for a final exam and I was absolutely distracted from studying and when I went into the exam I just didn’t know what to write on the exam and the end result was not great. This can be related to the driver who was distracted from the friend because the driver lost focus from driving and the end result was not great.

When we hear about distractions normally we focus on the use of cell phones, however, conversations in the car with the people around you are proven to be distractions as well.

You have the power to make healthy and responsible decisions around impaired and distracted driving. With such action, we can see an end to tragedies of this sort.

2 dead in Toronto crash

Last Updated: Wednesday, May 14, 2008 | 7:10 PM ET Comments19Recommend53

CBC News

Two people are dead, one person is in serious condition and eight others are injured after a speeding car crash Tuesday evening.

The accident happened at around 9 p.m. on Eglinton Avenue East, just east of the Don Valley Parkway.

Toronto police say a speeding Honda Accord was travelling westbound on Eglinton Avenue East when the driver lost control and the car vaulted across the centre median. It struck a Bell Canada van heading east.

"It stopped that vehicle in its tracks and actually pushed it backwards. As a result of that collision, the Honda Accord then rotated, and as it was rotating, it ejected three passengers from the back seat," said Const. Mig Roberts.

Two of the ejected passengers — an 18-year-old female and a 23-year-old male — died at the scene.

A 19-year-old female is in serious condition.

The two people riding in the van escaped with minor injuries.

Witnesses said the Honda had been weaving in and out of traffic along Eglinton Avenue East at speeds in excess of 100 km/h. The posted speed limit on that stretch of road is 60 km/h.

Rihaz Rihan, 21, faces several charges in connection with the accident, including four counts of dangerous driving and two counts of dangerous driving causing death.

Investigators say alcohol may be a contributing factor, but they also say that a breathalyzer test showed the driver to be under the legal limit.

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On behalf of Student Life Education Company, we are sorry to hear two young people have died from a crash possibly resulting from impaired and distracted driving. We are also sorry to hear one person is in serious condition and eight others are injured in this very same crash.

At the end of this article it stated that investigators say alcohol may have been a contributing factor. The interesting aspect of this news story was that the driver was under the legal limit of alcohol consumption when he went behind the wheel.

When I hear stories like this I think about how even a single drink or dose of drugs can impact the body and impair one’s judgment. At the same time when I hear stories like this one I think about one of NSAIDD’S slogan, “You’re the hero, be the difference”. This slogan means that you have the ability to be a hero and make a healthier choice by choosing to have zero percent alcohol in your body while driving. Just imagine how great you would feel if you were able to take this step!

I also want to let you know that there are thousands of students across Canada that are becoming heroes every day by being the difference and saying no to impaired and distracted driver. Every year we have our annual National Students against Impaired and Distracted Driving Day and this year we will be celebrating our 10 year anniversary!

More information on our 10 year anniversary will be released soon, come join us to celebrate students who are making a difference and being heroes!

For more information be sure to check out our website:

http://www.studentlifeeducation.com

We can also be found on Facebook: http://apps.facebook.com/causes/88446?recruiter_id=11246406

Finally, be sure to check out the website for the 10^th Annual NSAIDD (National Students Against Impaired and Distracted Driving) Day:

www.nsaidd.com