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
EXCLUSIVE | Gay man taking Canadian government to court, says sperm donation restrictions make him feel like a 'second-class citizen'
A gay man is taking the federal government to court, challenging the constitutionality of a policy restricting sexually active gay and bisexual men from donating to sperm banks in Canada, CTV News has learned.

Quebec woman shocked to find stolen Audi driven through Ontario mall in 'insane' robbery
A Quebec woman said she was very surprised to find her stolen Audi had been used in what’s being described as an “absolutely insane” Ontario mall robbery.
Actor Ryan Reynolds surprises students during tour of Toronto college
Canadian Actor Ryan Reynolds dropped by a Toronto college on Wednesday, surprising students in the midst of a school project.
Former CBC journalist dies after random attack on Toronto street, new suspect photo released
A long-time CBC radio producer who was the victim of a random assault in Toronto last week has died, the public broadcaster confirms.
Hockey team of preteen Ukrainian refugees arrives in Quebec City for tournament
A team of preteen Ukrainian refugees that have been scattered across Europe by war arrived Wednesday in Quebec City, where they'll get the chance to compete in a renowned hockey tournament.
Candice Bergen, former interim Conservative leader, resigning from Parliament
Candice Bergen, the former interim leader of the Conservative Party of Canada, is resigning from Parliament.
Help still needed for Ukrainian refugees: Community organizers
Nearly a year since Russia's invasion of Ukraine, community organizers say there is still work to be done to help the thousands of Ukrainian refugees looking to start a new life in Canada while coping with the hardships they've faced coming here.
After a radioactive capsule went missing in Australia, could the same happen in Canada?
After a tiny radioactive capsule went missing in the Australian outback, an expert in Canada says the likelihood of the same happening in this country is unlikely, given our strong regulations governing the handling of radioactive materials.
Canada Post honours Chloe Cooley with stamp for Black History Month
As Black History Month gets underway, Canada Post has unveiled a new stamp honouring Chloe Cooley, a young Black woman who was known to challenge her enslavement in the late 18th century.