Public safety minister outlines roadside test for drugged driving

Ottawa is revealing details about a test meant to catch people driving high as the date approaches for cannabis to be made legal in Canada.

Public Safety Minister Ralph Goodale said police forces will have the training and resources available to do saliva-based testing at the roadside. If the saliva test shows a driver is impaired, police would then have grounds to ask for a blood test.

“We’ve made over $200 million available for the implementation of all of the measures that are necessary around the new legal regime for cannabis,” Goodale said.

Goodale said the testing equipment was given a trial run in Canada to ensure it would work in frigid conditions.

“The test turned out to be very favourable.”

Goodale said it is up to everyone in Canada to not only keep themselves safe, but ensure those around them are safe as well.

“The problem exists now, it has existed for a long time actually when you look at the statistics on drug-impaired driving,” Goodale said. “The indications are that it’s getting worse.”

He said the legalization of pot was a change that had to happen, given the reality of how the drug is already used in Canada.

“Canadian young people are the heaviest users of cannabis in the western world so obviously the present law has not succeeded.”

Goodale said legalization will keep cannabis out of the hands of kids and take the profits away from organized crime.