KanMan
05-16-2006, 02:14 PM
Tuesday, May 16, 2006
Dangers of toking up, driving brought home to teens
Tony Lofaro
The Ottawa Citizen
Ramin Shaji stopped driving with a longtime friend who was putting their lives in danger by toking up behind the wheel.
His friend was a heavy marijuana user whose driving habits had became more erratic and dangerous.
"I noticed that he would have a slow reaction to the traffic around him. When he had to turn, he would go into the other lane," said Mr. Shaji, 19, a student at the Adult High School, who used to ride to school with his 18-year-old friend. Yesterday, Mr. Shaji was one of 10 teens at Earl of March High School to launch Why Drive High?, a citywide campaign to dispel myths about marijuana use and driving.
The teenagers will hit schools to reinforce the message that heavy marijuana use, especially among drivers aged 13 to 25, is harmful.
Mr. Shaji said that at first, he thought his friend was drinking or taking other drugs, but then he saw how the steady use of marijuana affected his judgment on the road.
Mr. Shaji drifted apart from his friend, but not before he warned him about the dangers of smoking and driving.
"I realized all those times I could have been in a serious accident or could have probably died," he said, remembering the incidents from more than a year ago.
The Why Drive High? program, a collaboration with Ottawa Public Health and Carlington Community and Health Services, is funded by Health Canada. Its message will be told in five languages: English, French, Chinese, Arabic and Somali.
According to the 2005 Ontario Drug Use Survey, 20 per cent of drivers in Grades 10 to 12 drove a vehicle at least once in the past year within an hour of using marijuana.
And 22 per cent of students in Grades 7 to 12 said they had been a passenger in a car driven by someone who had been using drugs prior to driving.
Sobering statistics, but unfortunately the number of people being stopped for marijuana use has increased in recent years, OPP Const. Eric Booth said yesterday.
"On the R.I.D.E. program, it's pretty much guaranteed that someone driving up to the program has used drugs in the vehicles, mostly marijuana or hashish. They've been smoking in the vehicle prior to driving, or while they're driving," said Const. Booth.
He said there could be confusion among teenagers who believe that driving and smoking marijuana is not as serious as drinking and driving. He said he hopes this new awareness program will eliminate those myths.
He said "mixed messages" are going out to teenagers, especially with talk about decriminalizing marijuana, and with revelations that some politicians have tried marijuana.
In a short video made for yesterday's launch, Gregg Thomson, whose 18-year-old son, Stan, and four of his friends died in a drug-related crash on June 27, 1999, on Highway 7 near Perth, talked about the devastating effect the accident had on his family.
"As much as I wish, as much as I dream, I know I can't have him back," said Mr. Thomson, a former Ottawa resident who moved to Dallas last fall.
"One dream I do know will come true is that no other family will have to face the death of their child to drugs and driving. Initiatives like Why Drive High? give us this hope, puts us so much closer to realizing our dream," he said in the video.
In an interview, Mr. Thomson said the passage of time has not eased the pain of losing his son. He said the years since his son's death have been all about survival.
"You never get over it and I'm almost seven years into this now," said Mr. Thomson, 50, a former president of the Ottawa chapter of MADD.
"There are days like even this past weekend where you have moments and I feel like I'm right back into June of 1999."
Mr. Shaji said his relationship with his friend has improved, although they are not as close as they once were. He hopes the awareness program will speak to teenagers about abstaining from smoking marijuana before driving.
"I just want to reach out to one person, whether it's someone who is doing it, or a friend that knows someone who's doing it. If I can reach one person, it will help to have a ripple effect."
Contact: [email protected]
Ottawa Citizen @ http://www.canada.com/ottawacitizen/news/city/story.html?id=c5a5d00c-b0b8-4595-b4d5-d721a3e198a1
Dangers of toking up, driving brought home to teens
Tony Lofaro
The Ottawa Citizen
Ramin Shaji stopped driving with a longtime friend who was putting their lives in danger by toking up behind the wheel.
His friend was a heavy marijuana user whose driving habits had became more erratic and dangerous.
"I noticed that he would have a slow reaction to the traffic around him. When he had to turn, he would go into the other lane," said Mr. Shaji, 19, a student at the Adult High School, who used to ride to school with his 18-year-old friend. Yesterday, Mr. Shaji was one of 10 teens at Earl of March High School to launch Why Drive High?, a citywide campaign to dispel myths about marijuana use and driving.
The teenagers will hit schools to reinforce the message that heavy marijuana use, especially among drivers aged 13 to 25, is harmful.
Mr. Shaji said that at first, he thought his friend was drinking or taking other drugs, but then he saw how the steady use of marijuana affected his judgment on the road.
Mr. Shaji drifted apart from his friend, but not before he warned him about the dangers of smoking and driving.
"I realized all those times I could have been in a serious accident or could have probably died," he said, remembering the incidents from more than a year ago.
The Why Drive High? program, a collaboration with Ottawa Public Health and Carlington Community and Health Services, is funded by Health Canada. Its message will be told in five languages: English, French, Chinese, Arabic and Somali.
According to the 2005 Ontario Drug Use Survey, 20 per cent of drivers in Grades 10 to 12 drove a vehicle at least once in the past year within an hour of using marijuana.
And 22 per cent of students in Grades 7 to 12 said they had been a passenger in a car driven by someone who had been using drugs prior to driving.
Sobering statistics, but unfortunately the number of people being stopped for marijuana use has increased in recent years, OPP Const. Eric Booth said yesterday.
"On the R.I.D.E. program, it's pretty much guaranteed that someone driving up to the program has used drugs in the vehicles, mostly marijuana or hashish. They've been smoking in the vehicle prior to driving, or while they're driving," said Const. Booth.
He said there could be confusion among teenagers who believe that driving and smoking marijuana is not as serious as drinking and driving. He said he hopes this new awareness program will eliminate those myths.
He said "mixed messages" are going out to teenagers, especially with talk about decriminalizing marijuana, and with revelations that some politicians have tried marijuana.
In a short video made for yesterday's launch, Gregg Thomson, whose 18-year-old son, Stan, and four of his friends died in a drug-related crash on June 27, 1999, on Highway 7 near Perth, talked about the devastating effect the accident had on his family.
"As much as I wish, as much as I dream, I know I can't have him back," said Mr. Thomson, a former Ottawa resident who moved to Dallas last fall.
"One dream I do know will come true is that no other family will have to face the death of their child to drugs and driving. Initiatives like Why Drive High? give us this hope, puts us so much closer to realizing our dream," he said in the video.
In an interview, Mr. Thomson said the passage of time has not eased the pain of losing his son. He said the years since his son's death have been all about survival.
"You never get over it and I'm almost seven years into this now," said Mr. Thomson, 50, a former president of the Ottawa chapter of MADD.
"There are days like even this past weekend where you have moments and I feel like I'm right back into June of 1999."
Mr. Shaji said his relationship with his friend has improved, although they are not as close as they once were. He hopes the awareness program will speak to teenagers about abstaining from smoking marijuana before driving.
"I just want to reach out to one person, whether it's someone who is doing it, or a friend that knows someone who's doing it. If I can reach one person, it will help to have a ripple effect."
Contact: [email protected]
Ottawa Citizen @ http://www.canada.com/ottawacitizen/news/city/story.html?id=c5a5d00c-b0b8-4595-b4d5-d721a3e198a1