While Canada is all for recreational marijuana and plans to make cannabis legal next summer, there are also concerns about the young demographic thinking it’s okay to drive while under the influence of the drug.
Public Safety Canada is on the hunt for a creative agency that will produce spots for their $1.9-million campaign that they plan to launch before next summer.
The campaign and its ads are intended to “reduce [the] percentage of Canadians that say they would be likely to accept a ride from someone under the influence of marijuana.”
Canada’s Justice Minister Jody Wilson-Raybould made a promise back in April for the public awareness campaign.
According to an EKOS poll, commissioned by Health Canada, more than a third of those surveyed said they had been a passenger in a vehicle driven by someone using marijuana. For ages 19-24 the number rose to 42% and it was as high as 70% for recent users.
Back in November a Blue Ribbon Panel suggested, “a robust and ongoing national public education campaign [that] requires proper funding and implementation as soon as possible, prior to legalization.”
“Furthermore, the public education campaign needs a special focus on youth to dispel the myth that cannabis use leads to better driving.”
