Training police to detect drug-impaired driving

Driving after using drugs, even prescription drugs, is just as dangerous as drinking and driving. To assist Canadian law enforcement, the RCMP is updating and expanding training to detect drug impaired drivers and increase the number of Drug Recognition Enforcement (DRE) officers across the country.

This training is available both in-person and online to increase the number of police who can detect drug-impaired drivers.

In-person training

Drug Recognition Expert training

Drug Recognition Expert (DRE) training is only available in-person. The RCMP will continue to host a number of DRE training courses each year, with approximately 20-24 police officers, in each. Other police forces may run additional courses, locally, but all DREs in Canada are certified using International Association of Chiefs of Police standards.

Introduction to Drug-Impaired Driving

This course is taken in-person and includes:

• The characteristics of drugs that impair driving, with a special emphasis on cannabis.
• An overview of the characteristics of alcohol and drug impairment including signs and symptoms of impairment by each of the seven drug categories.
• Medical conditions that can mimic drug impairment; and,
• Impaired driving laws

This course is currently available to all Canadian police officers.

In-person Standardized Field Sobriety Testing (SFST) refresher

The course provides police officers who are already SFST trained with an opportunity to refresh their skills under the supervision of a SFST or DRE instructor.   

This course is available to Canadian police officers who are already SFST-trained who want to maintain their impaired driving detection skills, SFST knowledge, learn more about the various drugs that can impair driving and visible signs of drug impairment.

Online training

Basic Impaired Driving Detection Techniques

This course is taken online and includes:

• The characteristics of drugs that impair driving, with a special emphasis on cannabis.
• An overview of the characteristics of alcohol and drug impairment including signs and symptoms of impairment by each of the seven drug categories.
• Medical conditions that can mimic drug impairment; and,
• Impaired driving laws
• Practical scenarios to test knowledge

This course is available to all Canadian police officers through police-based online learning portals.

Standardized Field Sobriety Testing (SFST) Review and Introduction to Drug Impaired Driving

This course is taken on-line and includes:

• The characteristics of drugs that impair driving, with a special emphasis on cannabis.
• An overview of the characteristics of alcohol and drug impairment including signs and symptoms of impairment by each of the seven drug categories.
• Medical conditions that can mimic drug impairment; and,
• Impaired driving laws
• Practical scenarios to test knowledge

This course is available to Canadian police officers who are already SFST-trained who want to maintain their impaired driving detection skills, SFST knowledge, learn more about the various drugs that can impair driving and visible signs of drug impairment. This course is available to all Canadian police officers through police-based online learning portals.