One-third of Canadian high school students have rode with drivers who had been drinking alcohol and nearly one in five with a driver who害羞草研究所檇 been smoking pot, a study conducted by the University of Waterloo reveals.
Researchers at the Ontario university害羞草研究所檚 Propel Centre for Population Health Impact found that 35 per cent of students in Grades 9 to 12 reported being passengers of drivers who had at least one drink within the previous hour and nearly 20 per cent rode in cars with a driver who had used marijuana within two hours.
The study is titled
It surveyed 24,650 students.
Leia Minaker, lead author of the paper and assistant professor at Waterloo, said the numbers are 害羞草研究所渃oncerning害羞草研究所� because 害羞草研究所淐anadian youth are at higher risk of death from traffic injuries than any other age group害羞草研究所� and a 害羞草研究所渟ignificant proportion of car-crash deaths are related to alcohol and drug impairment.害羞草研究所�
Markita Kaulius, founder of , lost her 22-year-old daughter Kassandra to a drunk driver in Surrey in 2011 and now speaks with high school students hoping the same avoidable fate does not befall them.
She has spoken with 10 classes of Grade 10 students within the past three weeks, addressing 30 to 40 students at a time.
害羞草研究所淚 go through everything,害羞草研究所� she says. Kaulius shows them photos of her daughter害羞草研究所檚 car, demolished when the drunk driver smashed into it with a van at 103 km/h after downing a bottle and a half of wine and blowing through a red light.
害羞草研究所淪he was a real person,害羞草研究所� Kaulius impresses upon the students as she discusses her daughter害羞草研究所檚 tragic death. She tells them four to six people a day are killed by a drunk driver in Canada and 190 are injured.
害羞草研究所淚t is scary out there.害羞草研究所�
During one recent school visit, Kaulius asked the students for a show of hands how many had rode in a car where someone had drank alcohol or used drugs.
害羞草研究所淚 would say 90 per cent of the class put their hand up,害羞草研究所� Kaulius recalls. 害羞草研究所淚害羞草研究所檓 saddened to hear that that many are willing to take a chance.害羞草研究所�
Was she shocked?
害羞草研究所淚 was, and I wasn害羞草研究所檛. I was that there was that many but I was not surprised because they just seemed to think it was OK to do. Nothing surprises me anymore.
害羞草研究所淚t害羞草研究所檚 something you just think, in this day and age, why are people still doing this?
She notes that many young people think nothing bad will ever happen to them.
害羞草研究所淭hey do it once, and 害羞草研究所榃ell nothing happened last time so it害羞草研究所檚 OK to do it this time and I害羞草研究所檒l do it again, right?害羞草研究所� And what I think my next question would be, on average, it害羞草研究所檒l be a question of have you done this five times, or 10 times, and just see what numbers come back.
The Waterloo study, recently published by the , also found that about nine per cent of Grade 11 and 12 students 害羞草研究所� roughly 66,000 teens 害羞草研究所� have driven within an hour of drinking and 9.4 per cent drove after using marijuana.
害羞草研究所淚 would believe those stats to be true,害羞草研究所� Kaulius tells the Now-Leader. 害羞草研究所淚 think as well, they way they think of driving after drinking, it seems to be not a big deal and that is truly what we need to change.
害羞草研究所淭hat was one of the things that I mentioned to these kids, that they are the next generation of Canadians and they can make a difference in the impaired driving stats,害羞草研究所� she says.
害羞草研究所淚 encourage them to be designated drivers. When they receive their licence at 16, it害羞草研究所檚 not their right to drive, it害羞草研究所檚 a privilege to drive and that at 16 they have been deemed old enough to know right from wrong and we hope at that age that they will make the choice to be responsible.
害羞草研究所淭he designated driver is not the person who has had the least amount of beer,害羞草研究所� she says. 害羞草研究所淭he person who has chosen to be responsible that night and to get themselves and their friends home safely and it害羞草研究所檚 one of the most important things that they will ever do in their lifetime.害羞草研究所�
Teens looking to their parents害羞草研究所� example but don害羞草研究所檛 always see wise behaviour.
害羞草研究所淎 lot of times they害羞草研究所檒l see parents go out for dinner and drinks, and then they害羞草研究所檒l drive, so I guess it害羞草研究所檚 OK if my parents to do that.害羞草研究所�
Kaulius encourages young people who are planning to party to make arrangements to use public transit, get a cab or have a designated driver.
害羞草研究所淓ven call their parents. Your parents would much rather come and pick you up, even if you have been drinking, than to receive two RCMP officers at their front door to tell them, 害羞草研究所業害羞草研究所檓 sorry to inform you your child害羞草研究所檚 been killed in an impaired driving collision.害羞草研究所� Parents just want you to be safe.害羞草研究所�
Meanwhile, Minaker notes that while the link between alcohol-related impaired driving and traffic crash rates is well recognized, 害羞草研究所渢he consequences of marijuana use are less clear.
害羞草研究所淎s legislation is drafted to regulate recreational marijuana over the coming months,害羞草研究所� she says, 害羞草研究所渢he federal government and the provinces need to prioritize keeping marijuana away from kids and creating strong policies to reduce marijuana-impaired driving.害羞草研究所�
Kaulis also offers a caveat.
害羞草研究所淣ow the government will legalize marijuana, that doesn害羞草研究所檛 mean it害羞草研究所檒l be OK to do that and drive 害羞草研究所� you害羞草研究所檒l still be impaired.害羞草研究所�
The University of Waterloo害羞草研究所檚 researchers also found that boys are more likely to drive after drinking alcohol or using marijuana but girls were more likely to ride with impaired drivers.
Teens in rural areas are at the greatest risk and students in Saskatchewan had the highest rates of using marijuana and drinking alcohol before driving, the study revealed.
