Don’t Get Behind The Wheel When High

PRINCE GEORGE- Mothers Against Drunk Driving paid a visit to Prince George Secondary this morning. The message has changed recently, to include marijuana and other illegal drugs. It also highlights the dangers of driving while taking certain prescription drugs. The goal is to prevent risky behaviour in teens, behind the wheel and in the passenger seat. “A lot of the time I’ll get the response ‘I didn’t know there were other substances I had to worry about’, and when we talk about impaired driving it’s not just everyday traffic, there are other kinds of vehicles that people don’t think about like boats, ATVs, quads, motorcycles,” said MADD school outreach representative Brandon Radhay.

RCMP are preparing for the legalization of marijuana later this year. A pilot program was tested in 2017 and now guidelines and limits are being developed. Driving while under the influence can result in criminal charges and expensive fines, no matter the substance. “We have an issue with impaired driving as a whole in the City of Prince George, that includes alcohol impairment and drug impairment,” said RCMP Drug Recognition Expert, Sgt. Matthew LaBelle, “if it’s determined that somebody is impaired by a drug they can be charged under the Criminal Code of Canada under impaired driving, that comes with financial penalties, a criminal code, a record.”