More people are driving high, Timmins police warn
With 2022 coming to a close, Timmins police are taking a look at its impaired driving statistics for the year and say more and more people are being charged with driving while high.
Over the last four years, impaired driving charges have gone up with 2021 being one of the worst, when 68 people were charged. So far this year, that number sits at 58 people with a few weeks still to go.
With the legalization of cannabis, police are encountering a significant number of people who've consumed pot and got behind the wheel.
They're also getting a lot more calls from people who find drivers passed out in their vehicles after taking opiates.
“Almost half the situations where we arrest and charge somebody with impaired driving is due to the consumption of a substance other than alcohol,” said police spokesperson Marc Depatie.
“So in a good number of those cases, the person is under the influence of alcohol and (another) substance.”
Const. Chris Gauthier said the other substance is often an opioid.
“It’s not just cannabis,” Gauthier said.
“There’s methamphetamines, there’s opiates, there’s also prescribed medications that people aren’t aware of that it does affect your ability to operate a vehicle.”
Officials said impaired driving is the leading cause of death in Canada among men between the ages of 18 and 24.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Deaths of 4 people on Sask. farm confirmed as murder-suicide
The deaths of four people on a farm near the Saskatchewan village of Neudorf have been confirmed a murder-suicide.
Multiple bridges in Calgary shut down for police incident
Calgary police have shut down a number of bridges into and out of the downtown core as officers deal with a distraught individual.
Sunshine list: These were the Ontario public sector's highest earners in 2023
Ontario released its annual sunshine list Thursday afternoon, noting that the largest year-over-year increases were in hospitals, municipalities, and post-secondary sectors.
Why some Christians are angry about Trump's 'God Bless the USA' Bible
Former U.S. President Donald Trump is officially selling a copy of the Bible themed to Lee Greenwood’s famous song, 'God Bless the USA.' But the concept of a Bible covered in the American flag has raised concern among religious circles.
George Washington family secrets revealed by DNA from unmarked 19th century graves
Genetic analysis has shed light on a long-standing mystery surrounding the fates of U.S. President George Washington's younger brother Samuel and his kin.
Baby boom amongst nurses leads to maternity ward closure in Listowel, Ont.
The emergency room at Listowel’s hospital is open today, but come summer, their obstetrics unit will be temporarily closing its delivery rooms.
Humboldt Broncos bus crash survivor qualifies Canada for Paralympics in rowing event
Former Humboldt Broncos goaltender and bus crash survivor Jacob Wassermann has qualified Canada for a rowing event for the 2024 Paralympic games in Paris.
Krispy Kreme doughnuts coming to McDonald's in U.S., but not Canada
Canadians will be missing out on a sweet new partnership between McDonald's and Krispy Kreme, which will see doughnuts available at McDonald's locations across the U.S. by the end of 2026.
'We won't forget': How some Muslims view Poilievre's stance on Israel-Hamas war
A spokesman for a regional Muslim advocacy group says Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre's stance on the Israel-Hamas war could complicate his party's relationship with Muslim Canadians.