Buzzby

Watch That Pothole! Bid To Stop Drivers Smoking Dagga Behind Wheel
The Star | 11/23/2005

Ottawa – Growing dagga usage is sparking fears of havoc on the roads in Canada and has prompted the launch of an official campaign to persuade people not to smoke and drive.

The advertising campaign launched on Monday, one of the first in the world, comes as Prime Minister Paul Martin’s Liberal government considers decriminalising possession of small amounts of pot in Canada.

Under a proposed bill, opposed by police who feel helpless to stop dopey drivers, stymied by a lack of technological tools to spot them, possession of 15g or less of dagga would be punishable by a fine.

The advertising blitz is financed by Health Canada and was launched by the non-profit Canadian Public Health Association. It shows two pilots in a cockpit smoking pot with the tag line: “If it doesn’t make sense here, why does it make sense when you drive?”

Officials said it aimed to reverse a growing trend, particularly among the young, to drive while under the influence of dagga.

Researchers found that bygone anti-drunk-driving campaigns and stepped-up road patrols had helped to cut the number of alcohol-related motor vehicle crashes in Canada, but accidents related to driving while under the influence of dagga are climbing.

According to a recent addiction survey by the Canadian Centre on Substance Abuse, 44,5% of Canadians 15 years and older have used dagga in their lifetime. A total of 14% smoked pot in the past year, double the number more than a decade ago. About 4% of people reported smoking pot and driving – but 10% of Canadians
16 to 29 years old – and they were four times more likely to get into an accident.

“The rate of driving under the influence of pot now rivals or exceeds the rate of driving under the influence of alcohol among young drivers and passengers,” said researcher Christiane Poulin, noting that dagga use is growing worldwide.

While most young drivers and passengers had little tolerance for alcohol-impaired driving, they commonly regarded pot as “a benign, mainstream drug with no significant negative consequences” and saw driving under its influence as risk free, Poulin said.

“The impression is that cannabis does not affect driving skills,” said Sylvia Fanjoi of the Canadian Public Health Association. “We found that ‘designated drivers’ often smoked-up instead of drinking.”

In fact, dagga impairs driving skills most severely during what is known as the acute phase, which lasts for up to an hour after smoking, experts say. Impairment subsequently subsides rapidly over the next two to three hours.

While most Canadians fear stiff penalties for being caught drunk behind the wheel, few fear prosecution for driving while under the influence of drugs, Fanjoi said.

“It’s difficult to spot a driver under the influence of marijuana because there are no tools to help us like breathalysers for alcohol,” said Mike Niebudek, director of the Canadian Professional Police Association. “We have to rely on visual cues, look for odd behaviour, smell.”

Police are pressing the federal government to provide funding to train officers to weed out drivers under the influence of drugs and to amend the law to require drivers to undergo sobriety tests if an officer believes the person is under the influence of the drug.

But, if Martin’s government is toppled in the coming weeks as opposition parties step up pressure to force an election, those plans could go up in smoke.

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RL in IL

I think this is an untrue statement.

An amazing twist of words! From talking about marijuana straight into talking about drugs in general. Is this a purposefully skewed article?

Also, referencing it by using another word, "dagga". Beautiful confusion towards the end of the article. People should be left with all of their negative feelings towards hard drugs mixed with what little they know about marijuana for the finale.

Yeah.

Finish the article talking about drugs in general rather than including researcher's results in at least two countries indicating drivers driving after using (only) marijuana seem to drive more carefully.

Swirling dust clouds of the barren landscape. Create a little turbulence and then go away.

Buzzby

FYI, "dagga" is the common term for cannabis in South Africa, just as "marijuana" is in the US. The article is from a South African source.

Basically Baked

Heh, I was wondering about that. I live in B.C and have never heard "dagga" said in real life.

Sadly i think it's not. While almost none of my friends would drive drunk, almost if not all are comfortable driving high. Maybe I lack a broader perspective, but i'm in that age group (i'm 17) and this is what i see in my area.

What's amusing here is the proposed sobriety tests. Pot does not really inhibit motor functions so any kind physical coordination test would be passed the same as if you where sober.

Buzzby

I'm afraid that you're wrong about that. Research and my personal experiences over the last 38 years tell me otherwise.

fight4rights

I'm still undecided about smoking and driving. Of course it would be best not to do it but I can't help myself. The thing is that as mentioned earlier that people do drive more carefully when they are high because the recognize that they are impaired. I think of it this way if marijuana impairs my reaction time by 5%, but I drive 10% slower I should still be in the clear.

That's probably just me trying to rationalize my guilt away though.

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"Revolution is not a right, it is an obligation." John Locke
"Do SOMETHING besides argue emotions against the law, because it simply isn't a rational way to affect any type of change whatsoever. No offense intended, but your opinion on things is a moot point unless you take actions to change the law, rather than ramble about how unfair or injust it is." troublemaker_42
"'Just say no' to drugs, except those marketed by big pharmaceutical companies." Ignorant Politicians

Chron

I don't know about that. On Erowid.org, they list Dagga as a drug that produces similar effects as cannabis. Another common name for Dagga is "Lion's Tail". It's a totally different plant. If some people in Canada are thinking dagga is another name for pot, they're mistaken.

teufelfisch

Last I heard, Dagga usage wasn't that great of a concern in Canada. Weed, however, has been a major concern this year. The article is definitely talking about pot.

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