Police crack down on drug-impaired driving for 4/20
Jeffrey Reynolds with the Family and Children's Association points out breathalyzers can show a person's blood-alcohol level. But there is no way for the police to precisely measure how much THC someone has consumed.
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For the weekend of April 20th or “4/20,” New York State Police and local law enforcement stepped up patrols and targeted drug-impaired driving.
"You don't want to get into an accident with someone who is reckless or smokes too much,” said Anita Kaplan, of Woodbury.
Jeffrey Reynolds with the Family and Children's Association points out breathalyzers can show a person's blood-alcohol level. But there is no way for the police to precisely measure how much THC someone has consumed.
"THC impairs your judgement, it changes your perception of things and really puts you at a disadvantage when you get behind the wheel,” Reynolds said.
In addition to the danger marijuana poses on the roads, a doctor with Cohen Children’s Medical Center says they are seeing an increase in the number of children going to the emergency room because of THC.
"We're seeing one-year-olds, two-year-olds who are accidentally getting into something that was lying around the home, whether in a purse, a pocket, or even in the car,” said Dr. Elise Perlman.
Perlman says parents need to store both recreational and prescription drugs properly, preferably in a locked box.
Yuvraj Singh, who owns Strain Stars cannabis dispensary in East Farmingdale, says his store sell those items.
"We try to ensure that our customers have some sort of safe storage places to keep the product, so we do offer those available for sale inside,” said Singh.
Officials say every state trooper is trained to recognize the signs of a driver being impaired by drugs.
