Horizontal Evaluation of the Initiative to Address Drug-Impaired Driving

Background

In 2017, prior to the legalization of cannabis, the federal government announced the Horizontal Initiative to Address Drug-Impaired Driving (the Initiative). The Initiative allocated $111M for an initial period between fiscal years 2017-2018 and 2021-2022 to three partner organizations: Public Safety Canada (PS), the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) and the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA). In October 2020, due to the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on police services and in order to redistribute corresponding unspent funds, the timeframe of the Initiative was extended, with a new end date of March 31, 2025.

The overarching objective of this Initiative was to protect public safety on roadways in Canada by equipping law enforcement and border services officers with the tools, technology and training necessary to enforce the drug-impaired driving (DID) legislation, and by supplementing these efforts with research, data collection to monitor trends in DID nationally, and public awareness.

The majority of the funding provided provinces and territories (PTs) with access to contribution funds to support law enforcement training in Standard Field Sobriety Testing (SFST) and Drug Recognition Expert (DRE) evaluation. Dedicated funding was also available to support the PTs in the acquisition of Approved Drug Screening Equipment (ADSE), the development of training on its use, and reporting on standardized national indicators for DID developed jointly by PS and the PTs for the Initiative.

Evaluation Purpose and Methodology

The purpose of the evaluation was to assess the relevance, effectiveness and efficiency of the Initiative. It covered the period from fiscal year 2017-2018 to 2024-2025 and included the three partner organizations. The evaluation was conducted in accordance with, and as required by, the Treasury Board Policy and Directive on Results.

Interviews

32 interviews were conducted with 57 individuals from horizontal partner organizations; other federal departments; provincial and territorial governments; and subject matter experts.

Literature and Program Document Review

Program documents and literature (e.g. government reports, articles, academic research) were reviewed.

Performance and Financial Data

Available performance data was reviewed and program financial data was analysed.

Limitations

A lack of baseline data created challenges in assessing the relevance of the program as well as the risks associated with DID and the Initiative's contribution in addressing these risks. Where possible, program documents and interviews were used to triangulate the evidence and mitigate some of these limitations.

Findings

Tools and Technology

During a roadside stop, positive results from drug screening equipment, along with other signs of impairment, may provide law enforcement with grounds for further investigation in a suspected DID case. As part of the Initiative, funding was included to support law enforcement and the CBSA in procuring the two Approved Drug-Screening Equipment (ADSE) devices authorized for use in Canada: the Dräger DrugTest 5000 (Dräger) and the Abbott SoToxa Oral Fluid Collection Device (SoToxa).

Since their authorization, 11 of the 13 PT jurisdictions have cumulatively purchased over 700 approved drug screening devices using funds provided by the DID Initiative. The CBSA has elected to not acquire ADSEs as part of its DID strategy and will instead focus on training border services officers on evaluation tests to detect impairment in drivers.

Of the two devices approved for use, the Dräger unit is the larger device, roughly the size of a coffee maker. The device is sensitive to temperature and must remain upright. On the other hand, the SoToxa device is a smaller handheld unit that requires frequent maintenance and replacement of testing swabs. The Dräger units can detect the presence of both cocaine and tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the main psychoactive component found in cannabis, presently, the SoToxa devices can only detect the presence of THC. Justice Canada continues to work with the Drugs and Driving Committee of the Canadian Society of Forensic Science on device standards, in line with the responsibility of the Attorney General of Canada to authorize the use of devices.

Several jurisdictions indicated that they are waiting for new devices and improved technology to be introduced before procuring more devices. However, some PTs reported positive outcomes in their use of ADSEs. Notably, the devices were popular among police services and law enforcement officers in Saskatchewan and Nova Scotia. Ontario and Alberta have also used the devices to enforce zero-tolerance policies for commercial and new drivers.

Training and Development

The Initiative included funding for the development and deployment of training to prepare Canadian law enforcement and border services officers for the anticipated increase in DID due to the legalization of cannabis and amendments to DID offences in the Criminal Code resulting from this legislation.

In support of this objective, the RCMP's National Traffic Programs and Operational Technologies (NTPOT) unit created and updated training products to augment existing training on impaired driving. This included the development of courses and materials on Standardized Field Sobriety Training (SFST) and Approved Drug Screening Equipment (ADSE) device usage and an Introduction to Drug-Impaired Driving.

NTPOT is also the administrator and coordinator of all Drug Recognition Expert (DRE) training and certification for Canadian law enforcement agencies. In this capacity, the RCMP delivers a DRE course in two phases to law enforcement officers: an initial DRE training course and a practical field certification event. This training is highly specialized and resource intensive. It includes a 9-day in-person course covering the theory and science behind drug recognition as well as multi-day field certification training events which are delivered at specialized sites.

With the exception of DRE courses, PTs are responsible for the delivery of DID-related training (developed by the NTPOT) in their respective jurisdictions with financial support from the Initiative.

The Initiative has been successful in training officers in SFST, despite delays caused by the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown restrictions. For all of Canada, the total percentage of law enforcement officers trained in SFST is 42%. In Quebec, SFST training is part of the standard curriculum at its provincial police college. As a result, 100% of all law enforcement officers in Quebec have this training. In the rest of Canada, approximately 20% of officers have received SFST training. Prior to the Initiative, only 15% of front-line officers across Canada were trained and able to conduct roadside testing.

Although there were pandemic-related training delays, the CBSA continues to work towards maintaining a complement of border service officers trained in SFST at land ports of entry. The SFST training has had a positive impact on border safety. It was noted that the training is a practical and effective means for detecting both alcohol and drug impairment at ports of entry.

Though the COVID-19 pandemic restrictions led to limited availability of DRE training for almost two years of the Initiative, over 1000 law enforcement officers from the RCMP, and provincial and municipal police forces across Canada, have received the training. This is almost double the amount of trained officers reported in 2017.

As DRE and SFST training resources are developed by the International Association of Chiefs of Police in the USA, these materials must be adapted to the Canadian context (e.g. to align with the Criminal Code of Canada, the Metric System, etc.) and be accessible in both official languages. The process of modifying training materials is both resource and time-intensive for the RCMP's NTPOT, as well as the CBSA. Funding provided by the Initiative has supported this work.

The ability of some police services to maintain a regular pool of DRE-certified officers can be challenged by resource or capacity constraints as the deployment of officers for training sessions (particularly for SFST or DRE) can be difficult given the duration of training and associated travel costs. Given that there is a need for continual training to maintain an officer's DRE certification, these issues may be long lasting and ongoing support may be required to ensure an adequate level of trained resources across the country.

Public Awareness

Public Safety Canada's Public Awareness Campaign

As part of the Initiative, PS launched a national marketing and multimedia campaign "Don't Drive High" in November 2017 to inform Canadians, particularly youth aged 16 to 24, of the dangers and risks associated with DID. The campaign included partnerships with key stakeholders, such as Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD), the Canadian Automobile Association, the Canadian Association of Chiefs of Police, and Young Drivers of Canada, and consisted of public communication, outreach and advertising, such as signs on bus stops and in other public spaces, billboards, commercials, as well as messaging on social media platforms and at public events in schools and music festivals.

The PS campaign was comprehensive and well-resourced to meet its objectives. It was able to adapt to the realities of the COVID-19 pandemic by shifting its advertising activities to focus on digital platforms and developing messaging that was responsive to the unique circumstances of the lockdown.

The campaign employed innovative features, such as an interactive chatbot on a social media platform, which was a first for the Government of Canada. The chatbot, Didi, would interact with users and provide them with information about the dangers of DID as well as rideshare options available to them and transit maps. In 2020, the campaign gained international recognition by winning the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile's Road Safety Award for Best Intervention by a Public Body.

Public-opinion research that was funded by PS indicated positive attitudinal shifts that occurred over the duration of the campaign, and in particular, there was an increase in the awareness among Canadian youth that cannabis impairs one's ability to drive. Moreover, the number of survey respondents (regardless of age) who indicated they would access a Government of Canada website for information on the impacts of drugs on driving ability increased over the same time frame which suggests encouraging results for the Government of Canada's overall public awareness efforts related to DID and cannabis.

PS also relies on data from Health Canada's Canadian Cannabis Survey to measure the campaign's impacts on social attitudes. Data from these annual surveys indicates that there has been a significant reduction in the number of respondents who self-reported using cannabis and driving or being a passenger of a driver who has used cannabis over the duration of the Initiative.

While PS' campaign was deemed to have successfully challenged the public's perceptions and awareness of DID, interviewees suggested that campaigns of this nature require considerable time to make a long term or lasting impact on social attitudes. It was also noted that public awareness and education of the risks involved with DID are key prevention tools.

RCMP Public Awareness Products

Initiative funding for public awareness activities also included funding to support the development of RCMP awareness products.

RCMP DID awareness products for youth are available on the Centre for Youth Crime Prevention Website, including tools and resources to help parents and educators educate youth about the consequences of impaired driving.

Internal assessments with the RCMP's National Youth Advisory Committee^{Footnote 1} found that these awareness tools were informative and helpful.

Data Collection and Reporting

Prior to Initiative investments, there was no coordinated reporting on DID nor the ability to provide national level data as jurisdictions did not have pre-established and standardized methods for their data collection and reporting. The Initiative made various efforts to address these deficiencies.

The Federal Provincial and Territorial Drug-Impaired Driving Working Group (FPT DID WG) established and operationalized a set of national standardized indicators in 2019, after a two-day workshop. These indicators were then collected by the PTs and horizontal partners. The Initiative provided directed funding to staff data analyst positions within the PTs for this data collection. It was suggested that while the data analyst role was an innovative approach included in the program's design, the position lacked the necessary tools to compel rigorous and consistent reporting on DID from police services and other government organizations. In some jurisdictions, the data analysts were unable to obtain or share the needed data from the organizations that collected it due to privacy and security protocols.

PS published an Annual National Data Report to Inform Trends and Patterns in DID, starting in 2020. This Annual Report combined information from partner organizations and the PTs. The intent of the report is to inform Canadians on activities undertaken to address DID and their results. The 2023 Annual Report shows that while there has been a reduction in impaired-driving incidents, the proportion related to drug impairments has been increasing. It is unclear if the data collected and reported reflects the full extent or prevalence of DID. For instance, in situations where driver impairment involving both alcohol and drugs is suspected, law enforcement may choose to investigate the alcohol-related offences as the investigative procedures and prosecutions are already well-established. As well, the increase of DID incidents reported in the Annual Report may be a result of an increase in actual incidents or it may be attributable to the Initiative's capacity building efforts among Canadian law enforcement.

A key area of oversight for the Initiative's governance bodies has involved addressing gaps in DID data and improving data collection and reporting processes. In 2022, at the request of the senior management committee that oversees the Initiative, the FPT DID WG prepared a follow-up report outlining its efforts and progress in addressing DID data issues. The report identified progress, and noted that more work was required to improve the standardization, completeness and reliability of various key data sources on DID. It also provided a series of recommendations to address these issues. These recommendations impacted both PS and PT partners and focused on:

• increased uptake of the use of roadside surveys
• ongoing support for current research on toxicological analysis, enhancement and standardization in the reporting of toxicological analyses on fatally injured drivers by coroners and medical examiners
• collaboration with law enforcement agencies to expand the systematic collection of data on the use and results of SFST and ADSE
• engagement with Statistics Canada and the Canadian Association of Chiefs of Police to address the under-reporting of DID incidents; and
• engagement with Statistics Canada to improve data reporting on DID-related convictions, sanctions and penalties

In an effort to better understand the risks posed by DID as well as the extent of the issue in Canada, PS has funded research studies. These have included two research projects conducted by the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health to study the effects of smoked and edible cannabis on drivers, as well as the Monitoring Drug-Impaired Driving in Canada Through Toxicological Analyses of Injured Drivers Study conducted by the University of British Columbia (UBC). While there has not been full participation by all jurisdictions in the UBC study, there are positive perceptions of its overall value. For instance, one jurisdiction noted an improvement in the collection and reporting of toxicology reports from injured drivers as a result of engagement in the study. This will allow for better reporting and comparable data across jurisdictions on traffic fatalities and injuries where DID is a contributing factor.

Along with these studies, additional roadside surveys are being undertaken in some jurisdictions to gain a better picture of the prevalence of DID. Ontario, Manitoba and the Yukon Territory all conducted roadside surveys in 2022 (the last year of available data). Cannabis was the most commonly detected drug in all of the jurisdictions, after alcohol, and 9% to 22% of the drivers tested positive for drugs.

In addition to the challenges with overall data related to DID, there is also a lack of data on those impacted by DID. In its 2022 report 'Measuring the Impact of Drug-Impaired Driving: Recommendations for National Indicators', the Canadian Centre on Substance Use and Addiction noted that minimal DID data is collected or reported on individuals across different genders, socioeconomic backgrounds or cultural groups. The report concludes that the lack of more nuanced data reduces Canada's ability to understand DID across different groups and potentially identify those who might benefit from targeted prevention and education efforts.

Program Design and Administration

Funding Eligibility

One of the Initiative's primary objectives was to support capacity building for law enforcement to address DID. This included, for example, investments in DID-related officer training and ADSE procurement for police services. During the Initiative's design, it was determined that funding to support these activities would be administered by PS to PT governments through a contribution agreement funding model.

However, the Policy on Transfer Payments prohibits federal organizations, such as the RCMP, from receiving payments issued through contribution agreements. This resulted in the 11 jurisdictions where the RCMP serves as the provincial or territorial police service not being able to access funds under this funding model.

To address this issue, PS reprofiled contribution funding to RCMP-policed jurisdictions through the annual Supplementary Estimates Process. The reprofiling process was innovative, but also perceived as inefficient, administratively burdensome and time consuming, resulting in delays finalizing agreements and some delays in payments for the initial fiscal year of funding.

While PS found a workaround, it was suggested that funding eligibility issues remain an ongoing challenge to the implementation of crime prevention programs that support law enforcement capacity building in the PTs and noted that the Grants & Contributions funding model, by which such programs are often implemented, is problematic given the role of the RCMP in service delivery. As well, it was noted that the contribution agreement model was, itself, problematic for the delivery of programs intended to build the capacity of provincial or territorial police service providers.

Governance and Oversight

Governance for the Initiative was facilitated through two principal bodies:

The Federal Provincial and Territorial Drug-Impaired Driving Working Group (FPT DID WG) comprised of horizontal partners (PS, CBSA, RCMP), stakeholders from federal organizations (Transport Canada and Justice Canada) and representatives from PT governments (including PT data analysts). PS' Drug Policy Division co-chaired this working group with a PT representative nominated by the working group. PS also provided a central coordinating role by tracking key project milestones and reporting on the Initiative.

The activities of the FPT DID WG included information sharing among members on current data collection practices (including gaps and challenges) and supporting the development of the Annual National Data Report to Inform Trends and Patterns in Drug-Impaired Driving (the Annual Report). The FPT DID WG also engaged with Statistics Canada and with expert organizations such as the Canadian Centre on Substance Use and Addictions and selected academics to establish national and standardized indicators to support data collection activities.

Over the course of the Initiative's implementation, the FPT DID WG met multiple times a year, and held two two-day workshops focused on data collection and the standardization of indicators.

The FPT Crime Prevention and Policing Committee (FPT CPPC) is comprised of Assistant Deputy Ministers from FPT governments whose areas of responsibility include crime prevention and/or policing. It monitored the implementation of the Initiative including the review and approval of strategic policy decisions, advisory materials and the Annual Reports published by PS. The CPPC reports to the FPT Deputy Ministers responsible for Public Safety and Justice who provided high-level oversight on key policy issues and the ongoing implementation of the Initiative.

Stakeholders from federal organizations who are familiar with the FPT DID WG had positive overall perspectives of its role and contribution. The majority of interviewees from the PTs held similarly positive perceptions of the working group and found it was a helpful and effective mechanism to support the implementation of the Initiative. These respondents further suggested that the consistency, quality and availability of information shared by PS, primarily through this forum, could have been improved. In particular, it was noted that regular updating of the SharePoint information portal would have been beneficial. It was also suggested that formal onboarding activities with written materials would have been useful to get new PT contacts up to speed given the complexities of the program and considerable turnover among working group members throughout implementation.

While there was consensus among interviewees that relevant federal organizations were included in the Initiative as partners and stakeholders in the working groups, it was suggested that Transport Canada could have been included as a horizontal partner and Health Canada and Statistics Canada could have played a larger role in the Initiative.

Utilization of Allocated Resources

Throughout implementation, the Initiative experienced significant obstacles in utilizing its allocated resources. Analysis of financial data reported by the Initiative indicates that between fiscal years 2017-2018 and 2023-2024, over 40% of planned funding was not spent. PS spent half of their planned amount and CBSA spent approximately 55% of its funding allocation while the RCMP has spent beyond its funding allocation by over 50%. In the fiscal years 2017-2018 to 2023-2024, CBSA had planned to spend $15,640,752 and actually spent $8,556,614, RCMP had planned to spend $12,211,956 and actually spent $18,699,972 and PS planned to spend $121,547,550 and actually spent $61,171,526.

The RCMP reported difficulties with the accuracy of their estimates for training costs during the Initiative's design phase as the available budget for training was outstripped by PT demand.

The CBSA has encountered significant obstacles in utilizing Initiative resources to support its planned training activities. In large part, this was due to the suspension of training during the COVID-19 pandemic and during summer months. In addition, Initiative funding that was allocated for ADSE procurement was not spent as the CBSA elected not to acquire the equipment in favour of emphasizing training for evaluation tests to detect impairment.

PS' spending challenges for the contribution program began in year 1 as the majority of that year's planned spending had to be reprofiled due to the Initiative's late launch in 2017. As described earlier, delays were encountered finalizing contribution agreements with the PTs, in part, because of RCMP funding eligibility issues.

In its administration of the contribution program, PS took action to address some of the spending challenges encountered by PTs and mitigated some of the anticipated impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on implementation. For example, PS became aware that due to the somewhat unpredictable nature of committing police resources to training activities in locations where operational pressures exist, PT funding recipients would require greater flexibility in moving funds between budget categories. To address this, in 2020, PS approved an exemption allowing funding recipients unlimited reallocation of funds between expenditure categories within a fiscal year. PTs were also permitted to reprofile funding to subsequent years to assist them in avoiding lapsing allocated funds. The scope of reimbursable expenses was also expanded to include additional data collection activities and public awareness campaigns supported by PT governments. While expense eligibility was expanded, it was suggested that more flexibility and discretion to determine spending priorities would have been beneficial for recipients.

Despite these efforts, there has been a combination of external factors that impacted the Initiative's activities and may have contributed to the overall spending shortfall. Successive pandemic-related public health restrictions reduced the PTs' ability to offer law enforcement training and certification activities. Unexpected large-scale events, such as wildfires and the mass casualty event in Nova Scotia, became operational priorities for police which further impacted planned training activities. In addition, the redeployment of project staff in some PTs to work on the COVID-19 pandemic response disrupted other implementation efforts, including data collection and reporting activities. It should also be noted that ADSE procurement on the part of police services has been slow or limited throughout implementation, which has also impacted planned spending.

Conclusions

The DID Initiative was launched in 2017, in advance of the legalization of cannabis, to protect public safety on roadways in Canada. The Initiative worked to equip law enforcement and border services officers with the tools, technology and training necessary to enforce the DID legislation. This was supported by public awareness campaigns to increase awareness of the dangers and risks associated with DID, and data collection efforts to monitor trends in DID.

Drug screening equipment was approved and made available for the use of Canadian law enforcement, however uptake has been limited. Several jurisdictions are waiting for new devices and improved technology to be introduced before procuring more devices, while others, such as the CBSA, are focusing on training. The equipment was seen as particularly beneficial for supporting zero tolerance policies in some provinces.

DID training courses and materials were successfully developed and made available to Canadian law enforcement and border services officers. Just over 40% of law enforcement officers in Canada are trained in SFST, an increase from approximately 15% prior to the Initiative. As well, there are double the number of DRE trained officers in Canada as a result of the Initiative. Ongoing training will be required to maintain a regular pool of certified officers across the country.

The public awareness campaigns were comprehensive, and resulted in positive attitudinal shifts related to DID among the targeted demographics. This is an important aspect of prevention.

PS has made progress to develop, introduce and promote standardized methods of data collection on trends and patterns in DID, as well as enhance the overall knowledge of the effects of cannabis on impaired drivers, which was non-existent prior to the Initiative. Additional work however is needed to address the gaps and challenges raised by the FPT Working Group.

Recommendations

In collaboration with the RCMP and the CBSA, the Senior Assistant Deputy Minister of the Crime Prevention Branch at Public Safety Canada, should:

1. Continue to support the provision of SFST and DRE training to law enforcement officers across Canada. (PS, RCMP, CBSA)
2. Engage with Statistics Canada to leverage their expertise in addressing the recommendations of the FPT Working Group in relation to work with coroners and medical examiners to improve data collection and reporting on fatal collisions involving DID. (PS)
3. Explore opportunities for ongoing DID public awareness campaigns to maintain the positive attitudinal shifts. (PS)

Management Action Plan

Date modified:

2025-08-29