97 drivers tested positive for cannabis during enforcement campaign: Winnipeg police
Police focused enforcement effort around cannabis dispensaries
Results from a recent traffic enforcement campaign show more needs to be done to educate Winnipeggers about the dangers of getting behind the wheel while high, police say.
Out of 207 drivers screened for drugs as part of this year's Don't Drive High campaign, 97 tested positive for cannabis consumption, city police said at a news conference Thursday.
That's 47 per cent or nearly half of the drivers who were tested from January to March, which police said is in line with figures from the same time last year, when 43 per cent of the 148 drivers who got oral fluid tests were positive for the drug.
"Obviously, these results are extremely concerning," said patrol Sgt. Stephane Fontaine, the Winnipeg police impaired driving countermeasures co-ordinator.
"It just simply reiterates the importance of our continued efforts on enforcement, education and ultimately, the need to continue our attempt to combat impaired driving, whether it's by alcohol or drugs."
Police said the campaign resulted in 86 Provincial Offences Act tickets, including 19 for improper storage of cannabis in vehicles and four for consumption of cannabis while inside a vehicle.
Fontaine said one driver was also charged criminally for refusing to be tested.
All drivers who tested positive for cannabis got sanctioned and had their licences suspended roadside, he said.
"If you are going to choose to consume, whether it's alcohol or drugs, you really need to make a plan not to drive," Fontaine said. "That is the safest and easiest solution to this problem."
Police performed a total of 302 traffic stops as part of the campaign. Fontaine said that unlike with alcohol, cannabis consumption is not focused between the evening and early morning.
"People seem to think that it's OK to do this throughout the day," he said.
The majority of positive tests were found between 3 and 6 p.m., he said.
Focus on dispensaries
The drivers who tested positive were found all across the city, but the campaign focused on traffic to and from cannabis dispensaries, he said.
"There's over 103 or so dispensaries throughout the City of Winnipeg, so what I did was I made a plan to basically target those areas," Fontaine said.
"The officers still have to form the proper grounds to make all of their lawful demands … but that's where they spent their time."
The campaign was launched in partnership with Manitoba Public Insurance and the Manitoba government. It got $35,000 in funding from the province.
Its educational component includes a social media and digital ads targeting recreational and medicinal cannabis users.
Justice Minister Matt Wiebe said the campaign is as much about raising awareness as it is about enforcement.
"That message of 'don't drink and drive' … continues to get through, but when it comes to cannabis, there's a lot of misconceptions," the minister said.
"This kind of work that we're doing here … really makes a big difference getting the message out."
