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Prime Minister Harper announces action to deal with drug-impaired drivers

10 November 2006

Kitchener, Ontario

Prime Minister Harper announces action to deal with drug-impaired drivers

Today, Prime Minister Stephen Harper announced that his government will soon introduce legislation to tackle drug-impaired driving.

“Our Government recognizes the need to target drug-impaired driving. We are prepared to take action to prevent future drug-impaired incidents,” said the Prime Minister. “The objective of the proposed legislation is to avoid reckless deaths and injuries of innocent people”.

The Prime Minister made this commitment while attending the 19th Annual Project Red Ribbon Campaign sponsored by Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD). “In fact, we hope to make drug-impaired driving as socially unacceptable as drunk driving has become amongst adults and teens alike”, said the Prime Minister.

"This is a very important and timely announcement”, said Senator Marjory LeBreton. “For many years Mothers Against Drunk Driving has been working to raise awareness and to crack down on impaired drivers. Over the past year we have significantly stepped up our campaign to target both alcohol and drug impairment. It is particularly gratifying to be part of a government that will work with MADD to take meaningful steps to save the lives of innocent Canadians."

Under the proposed legislation Canada’s new government will:

Provide police with more tools to detect drug-impaired drivers;

Increase penalties for drug-impaired driving;

Strengthen presumptions of breath and blood tests; and

Promote awareness about drug-impaired driving with partners like MADD.

Since assuming office in January, Canada’s New Government has introduced a number of initiatives to tackle crime and protect the safety and security of Canadians. These include legislation to:

Impose stricter conditions on dangerous offenders;

End conditional sentences for serious offences;

Implement mandatory minimum sentences for crimes involving guns;

Raise the age of consent for sexual activity from 14 to 16 years; and

Crack down on street racing.

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