Prime Minister Stephen Harper introduced plans Friday to amend the Criminal Code to clamp down on drivers who are high on drugs, calling drug-impaired driving "just as socially unacceptable" as getting behind the wheel when drunk.

The changes will give police new powers to apprehend and test drivers suspected of being impaired by drugs, increase penalties and promote awareness of the problem, Harper said.

Prime Minister Stephen Harper speaks during the 19th annual Project Red Ribbon campaign, sponsored by Mothers Against Drunk Driving. The federal government will soon introduce legislation to tackle drug-impaired driving.
(Nathan Denette/Canadian Press)

"Just as a drunk driver does, a drug-impaired driver presents a danger to himself and others," Harper said in Kitchener, Ont.

The prime minister cited a multi-vehicle accident caused by a motorist under the influence of marijuana in Perth, Ont., in 1999 that killed five people.

"We can act to prevent more such incidents from occurring," he said.

Harper also cited his "personal connection to the tragedy" of impaired-driving deaths alongside Tory Senator Marjorie LeBreton, who lost her daughter and grandson to an impaired driver 10 years ago.

"It's an emotional day, but it's a rewarding day as well," LeBreton said. "As a society, we need to ensure that impairment and driving are separated."

Harper also said light sentences given to drunk drivers were "in some cases, a joke."

No surefire test

Police have been asking for this type of power for years. But unlike breathalyzer tests, which can determine a driver's blood-alcohol level, there has been no surefire scientific test to determine what drug a driver may have used.

"If we see someone driving erratically, we really have a high hill to climb to prove it's from drug-impaired driving," Sgt. Brian Bowman of the Toronto Police traffic service told CBC News Friday.

"We almost need the smoke to waft out of the car or have the pills fall out on to the road."

Bowman said drug recognition evaluation — a series of tests that looks for families of drugs — will help Canadian police notice the signs and symptoms of drug impairment in drivers who have been pulled over, then testify against them. 

The evaluation has "proven itself in the States to the point where hopefully, our courts will be ready for it," he said.

Harper acknowledged there are "technological challenges" in terms of testing for certain kinds of drugs, but added "there are ways to strengthen the legislation to get convictions in clear cases" of driving under the influence of drugs.

Harper joined law enforcement officials and members of Mothers Against Drunk Driving in Canada in tying a red ribbon on the aerial of a vehicle as part of the group's annual campaign targeting impaired driving during the holiday season.