{"id":37436,"date":"2023-10-24T20:33:01","date_gmt":"2023-10-24T20:33:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/carsp.ca\/?p=37436"},"modified":"2023-10-26T18:29:23","modified_gmt":"2023-10-26T18:29:23","slug":"carsps-experience-at-the-drug-recognition-experts-dre-conference-2023","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/carsp.ca\/en\/news\/carsps-experience-at-the-drug-recognition-experts-dre-conference-2023\/","title":{"rendered":"NEWS – CARSP at the 2023 Drug Recognition and Enforcement Conference"},"content":{"rendered":"Last week, CARSP Board Member and alcohol and drug-impaired driving expert Dr.\u00a0<\/span>Douglas Beirness<\/span><\/a>\u00a0presented at the 2023 Drug Recognition and Enforcement Conference about <\/span>#drugimpaireddriving<\/span><\/a>. Dr. Beirness shared that according to a roadside survey, carried out very recently, alcohol use by drivers has declined significantly over the last thirty years: from 20% to 4% in 2022 (CanDART, 2022). Over the last decade, drug use by drivers has increased, most notably since the legalization of cannabis in 2018.\u00a0 In 2014, 8% of drivers had used cannabis and 3.5% had used other drugs.\u00a0 By 2022, these rates had increased to 10.3% and 7.5% respectively (CanDART, 2022).<\/span>
\n<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>
\n<\/span>This conference, 2023 Drug Recognition and Enforcement Conference, the first to be held since 2019 in Canada, was primarily aimed at recertification by providing training for and education to Drug Recognition Experts (DRE) from across the country.\u00a0 It was also open to Forensic Toxicologists from Federal and Provincial Government Labs and Crown Attorneys.\u00a0 Normally DREs are required to travel to locations in the United States for ongoing training and education.\u00a0 Holding this event conference in Toronto, ON, Canada made it more accessible for all attendees, and in some aspects also for local GTA DREs, by reducing some of the travel, accommodation, and food costs specially when associated with the US dollar exchange rate.<\/span><\/p>\n

This training and education conference spanned over two days and included in-person presentations from leading experts in the field of drug and alcohol-impaired driving detection and prosecution. Topics covered included:<\/span><\/p>\n