The Don’t Drive High campaign targeted young Canadians and showed them the consequences and dangers of driving under the influence of cannabis.  The awards ceremony took place in early March in Ottawa, Canada’s capital, and was attended by the Honourable Bill Blair, Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness, and other government executives.

 “Enforcement alone doesn’t keep Canadians safe,” said Blair, a former chief of police in Toronto, Canada’s largest city. “What helps the most is public education.”

Ian Jack, CAA Vice President of Public Affairs, also spoke at the event and congratulated Public Safety Canada on behalf of the FIA. He also noted this is the second year in a row that Canada has won an FIA road safety prize – CAA took home the inaugural award in 2019 for its cannabis campaign.

Canada is the second country internationally to legalize recreational cannabis. The decision to legalize followed research that showed 70 per cent of Canadians were in favour and a sizeable minority – more than in most advanced countries – used cannabis or saw no problem with others doing so. At the same time, more Canadians are killed annually in crashes related to drug-impaired driving, including but not limited to cannabis consumption, than alcohol-impaired driving. Further research identified and targeted youth aged 16-24 as one of the most vulnerable communities.

In response, Public Safety produced an innovative four-pronged campaign, Don’t Drive High, that includes digital ads, sponsorship of summer festivals, a landing page and a Facebook Messenger chatbot.

The campaign has gained over 100 million digital ad impressions and a quarter million visits to its landing page. The chatbot also helped organize a safe route home for over 30,000 people. Don’t Drive High will continue to run until 2022.