People driving whilst smoking cannabis

swingaloo

Just a vent really about the number of drivers on the road using cannabis (probably other drugs as well).
I walk my dog a couple of times a day and most times I cross the estate behind our road to cut through to the canal path. Every day without fail I am driven past by at least 3 or 4 cars, often more, and the smell of cannabis wafting from them is overpowering. At one point I pass there is a gate which leads on to a playing field and often I see a car parked there with 2 young men sitting in it and they are approached by lads collecting from them. Sometimes there are 3 or 4 cars other cars drive up and the drivers run across to get their supply.
There is a also a small car park at the entrance to the local park which is surrounded by bushes and cant be seen from the road. Ive seen the same car parked there and again young lads buying from it so this car obviously belongs to the local dealer.  Its always there at exactly mid-day every Saturday, one of the ladies who lives opposite  the park entrance says it has been going on for months and she will see youths hanging about waiting for the car to arrive. Other cars will pull onto this car park and again they are customers of the dealers.  She has reported it to the PCSO's and also phoned the police and even though they have been told that Saturday at 12 is 'dealing' time no police ever show. If you walk past as they are dealing (and its very obvious that they are) they make no attempt to pretend otherwise or care about you seeing them.
How did we get to the stage where this type of thing is just accepted. I understand the police are overstretched but how can it be acceptable to have drugged up drivers on the road and do nothing about it. 
I spoke to one of the local PCSO's myself and she told me that even if they were to be waiting at the car park for them to arrive they would simply deal from somewhere else next week which is true but very defeatist. I also spoke bout the fact that if you walk round the estate you are frequently passed by cars  which leave a stink of cannabis in their trail and if its such a regular occurrence why was nothing done about it. Again I was told its about resources. Drink driving is not tolerate but it seems we turn a blind eye to drugs. 

SpreadableToast

A car smelling of cannabis is no more an indication that the driver is intoxicated than a car smelling of alcohol is.

Cannabis nowadays has a very strong smell, someone carrying it will usually reek of it, even when bagged, so a strong smell of cannabis could easily be explained by the car at some point carrying cannabis.  And as, in my opinion, the stuff should be legalised anyway, I wouldn't care at all about someone having cannabis in their car.

swingaloo

Perhaps if you had a nephew who was regretfully of the same opinion as you and lost his life when he was in a car driven by a friend who admitted in court they they were all 'so stoned they didn't even know what town they were in' you may have a different view on it. I dont care who walks past me stinking of the stuff but I do care that they get behind a wheel and risk the lives of others.

missile

swingaloo said:

Perhaps if you had a nephew who was regretfully of the same opinion as you and lost his life when he was in a car driven by a friend who admitted in court they they were all 'so stoned they didn't even know what town they were in' you may have a different view on it. I dont care who walks past me stinking of the stuff but I do care that they get behind a wheel and risk the lives of others.

I doubt he would care 

Jack_Cork

Maybe the message about drug driving needs to be reinforced more, much the same way drink driving was. Drug driving can have the have the same impact as drink driving and the message needs to be conveyed that it isnt socially acceptable to do it.  Very much like DD was in the 70's before they brought in the breathalyser, it has been easier to get away with drug driving so people risk it, but they now have a road side test for that, so hopefully it might improve. 
I dont know how concerned the police are about low level drug supplying, I guess they are after Mr. Big, but maybe legalising it would resolve some of the issues? 
Sorry for the loss of your nephew, a few people made bad choices that day, and it stays with a lot more

waamo

Why drink and drive when you can smoke and fly?

shaun_from_Africa

SpreadableToast said:

A car smelling of cannabis is no more an indication that the driver is intoxicated than a car smelling of alcohol is.

Cannabis nowadays has a very strong smell, someone carrying it will usually reek of it, even when bagged, 

The smell of burnt cannabis is very different to the smell of the "fresh" product and the smell of it being used travels an awful lot further.

lincroft1710

Jack_Cork said:

Maybe the message about drug driving needs to be reinforced more, much the same way drink driving was..  Very much like DD was in the 70's before they brought in the breathalyser,

Breathalyser actually introduced in 1967

Jack_Cork

lincroft1710 said:

Jack_Cork said:

Maybe the message about drug driving needs to be reinforced more, much the same way drink driving was..  Very much like DD was in the 70's before they brought in the breathalyser,

Breathalyser actually introduced in 1967

Thank you, very interesting. So just to make it more factual 'Very much like DD was prior to 1967'

Any views about 'People driving whilst smoking cannabis'?

Edit,
Acorrding to the drink driving website the law came into effect in 1967, however the first breathalyser wasnt approved and used until 1968   https://www.drinkdriving.org/drink_driving_information_uklawhistory.php

1968
First Breathalyser is Type Approved
The first preliminary roadside breathalyser to be type approved by the home office was the Alcotest 80, manufactured by Dräger Ltd. The number 80 in the name refers to the BAC (blood alcohol concentration) limit it was designed to detect

So you were nearly right

olgadapolga

swingaloo said:
 I dont care who walks past me stinking of the stuff but I do care that they get behind a wheel and risk the lives of others.

I am of the same opinion, having been hit by a drugged, drunk driver who then left me for dead in the middle of a busy road as all he cared about was getting away and saving his own skin. Fortunately for me, the next car stopped and dragged me out of the road, thereby preventing me being hit by another car. I understand that I owe that person my life. The drugged, drunk driver is currently residing in one of Her Majesty's holiday homes and I have no doubt that when released, he will carry on driving under the influence of legal and illegal substances.

DCFC79

Mention it to the local pcso.