Ottawa, October 11, 2019 - The High Way Home? is a new interactive website that allows young people to make virtual choices about impaired driving without actually putting their lives at risk. It shows them the life-threatening consequences of poor decisions and the positive outcomes of making the right choices.

The High Way Home? guides Canadian youth and their allies through real-life scenarios where the goal is for the user to make the right choices to get home safely. During this experience they will:

• Learn facts about road safety and recieve road tips;
• Access evidence-based information and resources about cannabis;
• Explore the consequences of impaired driving; and
• Test their knowledge about driving and drugs.

Driving under the influence of drugs has risks, including serious injury and death. It is important that young people fully understand the risks involved. The “choose your own adventure” concept makes the site compelling and interactive. It allows users to explore the full ramifications of their decisions.

The Canadian Centre on Substance Use and Addiction (CCSA) partnered with Desjardins Insurance to develop the project. With edible cannabis products, cannabis extracts and cannabis topicals set to become legal on October 17, this website is an important tool in understanding impaired driving.

“After alcohol, cannabis is the most commonly used and detected substance among young drivers,” explains Chandni Sondagar, CCSA Knowledge Broker. “Driving while under the influence of drugs can affect an individual’s ability to operate a motor vehicle properly and safely. The intensity, duration and effects of the “high” from cannabis use can vary from person to person. These traits make it extremely important to have youth understand how a decision like this can impact the rest of their life.”

The High Way Home? belongs to a suite of resources CCSA has released in the past few months that focus on the different types of cannabis products that will be available. The resources look at the health impacts of using these products as well as how they differ from each other in affecting the body. There are also resources focused on the importance of labelling and storing your cannabis products correctly.

During the development process of the website, CCSA consulted youth focus groups to make certain the user experience would be impactful and resonate with Canadian youth. We made sure that the site is mobile friendly and compatible with all search engines to optimize the experience.

“Impaired is impaired, whether it's drugs or alcohol,” states Sondagar, “so if they are going to make them, we want young people to make their mistakes here, on this website, and not on the road.”