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香蕉视频直播檇 been smoking pot, a study conducted by the University of Waterloo reveals.
Researchers at the Ontario university香蕉视频直播檚 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 香蕉视频直播渃oncerning香蕉视频直播� because 香蕉视频直播淐anadian youth are at higher risk of death from traffic injuries than any other age group香蕉视频直播� and a 香蕉视频直播渟ignificant proportion of car-crash deaths are related to alcohol and drug impairment.香蕉视频直播�
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.
香蕉视频直播淚 go through everything,香蕉视频直播� she says. Kaulius shows them photos of her daughter香蕉视频直播檚 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.
香蕉视频直播淪he was a real person,香蕉视频直播� Kaulius impresses upon the students as she discusses her daughter香蕉视频直播檚 tragic death. She tells them four to six people a day are killed by a drunk driver in Canada and 190 are injured.
香蕉视频直播淚t is scary out there.香蕉视频直播�
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.
香蕉视频直播淚 would say 90 per cent of the class put their hand up,香蕉视频直播� Kaulius recalls. 香蕉视频直播淚香蕉视频直播檓 saddened to hear that that many are willing to take a chance.香蕉视频直播�
Was she shocked?
香蕉视频直播淚 was, and I wasn香蕉视频直播檛. 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.
香蕉视频直播淚t香蕉视频直播檚 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.
香蕉视频直播淭hey do it once, and 香蕉视频直播榃ell nothing happened last time so it香蕉视频直播檚 OK to do it this time and I香蕉视频直播檒l do it again, right?香蕉视频直播� And what I think my next question would be, on average, it香蕉视频直播檒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 香蕉视频直播� roughly 66,000 teens 香蕉视频直播� have driven within an hour of drinking and 9.4 per cent drove after using marijuana.
香蕉视频直播淚 would believe those stats to be true,香蕉视频直播� Kaulius tells the Now-Leader. 香蕉视频直播淚 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.
香蕉视频直播淭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,香蕉视频直播� she says.
香蕉视频直播淚 encourage them to be designated drivers. When they receive their licence at 16, it香蕉视频直播檚 not their right to drive, it香蕉视频直播檚 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.
香蕉视频直播淭he designated driver is not the person who has had the least amount of beer,香蕉视频直播� she says. 香蕉视频直播淭he person who has chosen to be responsible that night and to get themselves and their friends home safely and it香蕉视频直播檚 one of the most important things that they will ever do in their lifetime.香蕉视频直播�
Teens looking to their parents香蕉视频直播� example but don香蕉视频直播檛 always see wise behaviour.
香蕉视频直播淎 lot of times they香蕉视频直播檒l see parents go out for dinner and drinks, and then they香蕉视频直播檒l drive, so I guess it香蕉视频直播檚 OK if my parents to do that.香蕉视频直播�
Kaulius encourages young people who are planning to party to make arrangements to use public transit, get a cab or have a designated driver.
香蕉视频直播淓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, 香蕉视频直播業香蕉视频直播檓 sorry to inform you your child香蕉视频直播檚 been killed in an impaired driving collision.香蕉视频直播� Parents just want you to be safe.香蕉视频直播�
Meanwhile, Minaker notes that while the link between alcohol-related impaired driving and traffic crash rates is well recognized, 香蕉视频直播渢he consequences of marijuana use are less clear.
香蕉视频直播淎s legislation is drafted to regulate recreational marijuana over the coming months,香蕉视频直播� she says, 香蕉视频直播渢he federal government and the provinces need to prioritize keeping marijuana away from kids and creating strong policies to reduce marijuana-impaired driving.香蕉视频直播�
Kaulis also offers a caveat.
香蕉视频直播淣ow the government will legalize marijuana, that doesn香蕉视频直播檛 mean it香蕉视频直播檒l be OK to do that and drive 香蕉视频直播� you香蕉视频直播檒l still be impaired.香蕉视频直播�
The University of Waterloo香蕉视频直播檚 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.
