Attitudes towards cannabis have softened in recent years, but now is no time to lose sight of the potential risks. Cannabis-impaired driving remains a very real issue among Canada’s younger demographics, prompting road safety stakeholders to raise awareness for risks of driving high.
“Gen Z is a socially conscious generation that understands the dangers of driving drunk, but there is a significant group who doesn’t associate the same risky behaviour with smoking cannabis or doing edibles, which points to the need for more public education to make sure everyone understands the risks of driving high,” notes Teresa Di Felice, assistant vice president of Government and Community Relations for CAA SCO.
CAA has taken that need to heart. In fall 2020, CAA launched the “Do Anything But Drive” campaign, a multi-media initiative created to relay a simple but important message: If you plan to consume cannabis edibles, don’t get behind a wheel. And if you’re out, make arrangements to plan a safe way home.
“We’re not here to judge,” says Di Felice. “Smoking marijuana and eating edibles are legal in Canada, and people of age have the right to enjoy them. What we are doing is bringing awareness to how edibles can significantly impact your ability to drive safely, so enjoy, but find a secure ride home.”
Honing the message
“Do Anything But Drive” came from CAA’s extensive research into cannabis attitudes and use among Canadians and insights gained from studying the impacts and challenges of cannabis legalization in jurisdictions like Colorado.
The campaign is also backed by research into how edibles impact various users. For example, while CAA polls indicate that a third of young Canadians believe it is safe to drive within five hours of consuming edibles, research suggests that the effects can last upwards of 12 hours. Moreover, research shows that ingesting cannabis can affect people differently depending on any number of factors; and in some cases, consuming edibles can affect users for longer than smoking marijuana.
“Cannabis impacts everyone differently, based on several factors. So what we want to communicate to young drivers is that they cannot guarantee they’ll be in any shape to drive if they consume edibles and that it benefits everyone to find a better way home,” says Di Felice.
These are all critical points to communicate to cannabis users. Still, it’s not always easy to break through to younger Canadians. Understanding this, CAA is approaching its target demo on its digital turf. Since launching last year, it has produced campaign content for Snapchat, YouTube, Instagram, and the game-streaming platform Twitch.
“Our goal is to get in front of our audience on the channels they use most,” says Di Felice. “We’re creating quick, engaging content that is designed to be shared and start conversations.”
It can be a difficult conversation to broach, especially when Canadians are already inundated with news, ads, and opinions every day on their feeds. Nevertheless, CAA is confident that its grounded, engaging, research-based approach is getting attention.
“If you look at the numbers alone, our ads are getting a lot of complete views and impressions. That’s great to see, but what we’re really interested in is engagement; are they sharing, tagging, and sending the message along?” says Di Felice. “The good news is we see that engagement, and it’s very encouraging.”
Amplifying the message
Cannabis impaired driving is one of many road safety initiatives that CAA focuses on. Over the years, Di Felice and her colleagues have collaborated with public and private stakeholders to help advocate, educate, and drive awareness about how to create and maintain safe roads and communities. Regarding promoting safe cannabis use, CAA says it is committed to working with community members and law enforcement to get the word out.
“We know cannabis-impaired driving is an issue, and we know there are challenges when it comes to enforcement. That’s why we want to help amplify the conversation, raise awareness, and help eliminate this risk from our roads,” says Di Felice.
Learn more about CAA’s Do Anything But Drive campaign by visiting www.caasco.com/cannabis.
