One-third of Canadian high school students have rode with drivers who had been drinking alcohol and nearly one in five with a driver who91裸聊视频檇 been smoking pot, a study conducted by the University of Waterloo reveals.
Researchers at the Ontario university91裸聊视频檚 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 91裸聊视频渃oncerning91裸聊视频� because 91裸聊视频淐anadian youth are at higher risk of death from traffic injuries than any other age group91裸聊视频� and a 91裸聊视频渟ignificant proportion of car-crash deaths are related to alcohol and drug impairment.91裸聊视频�
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.
91裸聊视频淚 go through everything,91裸聊视频� she says. Kaulius shows them photos of her daughter91裸聊视频檚 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.
91裸聊视频淪he was a real person,91裸聊视频� Kaulius impresses upon the students as she discusses her daughter91裸聊视频檚 tragic death. She tells them four to six people a day are killed by a drunk driver in Canada and 190 are injured.
91裸聊视频淚t is scary out there.91裸聊视频�
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.
91裸聊视频淚 would say 90 per cent of the class put their hand up,91裸聊视频� Kaulius recalls. 91裸聊视频淚91裸聊视频檓 saddened to hear that that many are willing to take a chance.91裸聊视频�
Was she shocked?
91裸聊视频淚 was, and I wasn91裸聊视频檛. 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.
91裸聊视频淚t91裸聊视频檚 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.
91裸聊视频淭hey do it once, and 91裸聊视频榃ell nothing happened last time so it91裸聊视频檚 OK to do it this time and I91裸聊视频檒l do it again, right?91裸聊视频� And what I think my next question would be, on average, it91裸聊视频檒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 91裸聊视频� roughly 66,000 teens 91裸聊视频� have driven within an hour of drinking and 9.4 per cent drove after using marijuana.
91裸聊视频淚 would believe those stats to be true,91裸聊视频� Kaulius tells the Now-Leader. 91裸聊视频淚 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.
91裸聊视频淭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,91裸聊视频� she says.
91裸聊视频淚 encourage them to be designated drivers. When they receive their licence at 16, it91裸聊视频檚 not their right to drive, it91裸聊视频檚 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.
91裸聊视频淭he designated driver is not the person who has had the least amount of beer,91裸聊视频� she says. 91裸聊视频淭he person who has chosen to be responsible that night and to get themselves and their friends home safely and it91裸聊视频檚 one of the most important things that they will ever do in their lifetime.91裸聊视频�
Teens looking to their parents91裸聊视频� example but don91裸聊视频檛 always see wise behaviour.
91裸聊视频淎 lot of times they91裸聊视频檒l see parents go out for dinner and drinks, and then they91裸聊视频檒l drive, so I guess it91裸聊视频檚 OK if my parents to do that.91裸聊视频�
Kaulius encourages young people who are planning to party to make arrangements to use public transit, get a cab or have a designated driver.
91裸聊视频淓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, 91裸聊视频業91裸聊视频檓 sorry to inform you your child91裸聊视频檚 been killed in an impaired driving collision.91裸聊视频� Parents just want you to be safe.91裸聊视频�
Meanwhile, Minaker notes that while the link between alcohol-related impaired driving and traffic crash rates is well recognized, 91裸聊视频渢he consequences of marijuana use are less clear.
91裸聊视频淎s legislation is drafted to regulate recreational marijuana over the coming months,91裸聊视频� she says, 91裸聊视频渢he federal government and the provinces need to prioritize keeping marijuana away from kids and creating strong policies to reduce marijuana-impaired driving.91裸聊视频�
Kaulis also offers a caveat.
91裸聊视频淣ow the government will legalize marijuana, that doesn91裸聊视频檛 mean it91裸聊视频檒l be OK to do that and drive 91裸聊视频� you91裸聊视频檒l still be impaired.91裸聊视频�
The University of Waterloo91裸聊视频檚 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.
