One-third of Canadian high school students have rode with drivers who had been drinking alcohol and nearly one in five with a driver whoB次元官网网址檇 been smoking pot, a study conducted by the University of Waterloo reveals.
Researchers at the Ontario universityB次元官网网址檚 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 B次元官网网址渃oncerningB次元官网网址� because B次元官网网址淐anadian youth are at higher risk of death from traffic injuries than any other age groupB次元官网网址� and a B次元官网网址渟ignificant proportion of car-crash deaths are related to alcohol and drug impairment.B次元官网网址�
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.
B次元官网网址淚 go through everything,B次元官网网址� she says. Kaulius shows them photos of her daughterB次元官网网址檚 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.
B次元官网网址淪he was a real person,B次元官网网址� Kaulius impresses upon the students as she discusses her daughterB次元官网网址檚 tragic death. She tells them four to six people a day are killed by a drunk driver in Canada and 190 are injured.
B次元官网网址淚t is scary out there.B次元官网网址�
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.
B次元官网网址淚 would say 90 per cent of the class put their hand up,B次元官网网址� Kaulius recalls. B次元官网网址淚B次元官网网址檓 saddened to hear that that many are willing to take a chance.B次元官网网址�
Was she shocked?
B次元官网网址淚 was, and I wasnB次元官网网址檛. 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.
B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 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.
B次元官网网址淭hey do it once, and B次元官网网址榃ell nothing happened last time so itB次元官网网址檚 OK to do it this time and IB次元官网网址檒l do it again, right?B次元官网网址� And what I think my next question would be, on average, itB次元官网网址檒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 B次元官网网址� roughly 66,000 teens B次元官网网址� have driven within an hour of drinking and 9.4 per cent drove after using marijuana.
B次元官网网址淚 would believe those stats to be true,B次元官网网址� Kaulius tells the Now-Leader. B次元官网网址淚 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.
B次元官网网址淭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,B次元官网网址� she says.
B次元官网网址淚 encourage them to be designated drivers. When they receive their licence at 16, itB次元官网网址檚 not their right to drive, itB次元官网网址檚 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.
B次元官网网址淭he designated driver is not the person who has had the least amount of beer,B次元官网网址� she says. B次元官网网址淭he person who has chosen to be responsible that night and to get themselves and their friends home safely and itB次元官网网址檚 one of the most important things that they will ever do in their lifetime.B次元官网网址�
Teens looking to their parentsB次元官网网址� example but donB次元官网网址檛 always see wise behaviour.
B次元官网网址淎 lot of times theyB次元官网网址檒l see parents go out for dinner and drinks, and then theyB次元官网网址檒l drive, so I guess itB次元官网网址檚 OK if my parents to do that.B次元官网网址�
Kaulius encourages young people who are planning to party to make arrangements to use public transit, get a cab or have a designated driver.
B次元官网网址淓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, B次元官网网址業B次元官网网址檓 sorry to inform you your childB次元官网网址檚 been killed in an impaired driving collision.B次元官网网址� Parents just want you to be safe.B次元官网网址�
Meanwhile, Minaker notes that while the link between alcohol-related impaired driving and traffic crash rates is well recognized, B次元官网网址渢he consequences of marijuana use are less clear.
B次元官网网址淎s legislation is drafted to regulate recreational marijuana over the coming months,B次元官网网址� she says, B次元官网网址渢he federal government and the provinces need to prioritize keeping marijuana away from kids and creating strong policies to reduce marijuana-impaired driving.B次元官网网址�
Kaulis also offers a caveat.
B次元官网网址淣ow the government will legalize marijuana, that doesnB次元官网网址檛 mean itB次元官网网址檒l be OK to do that and drive B次元官网网址� youB次元官网网址檒l still be impaired.B次元官网网址�
The University of WaterlooB次元官网网址檚 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.
