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Sl Paem gi. oe ee

B. é. Solicitor General Angus —
“Ree announced last week that
the automatic prohibition from -
~ dtiving for serious driving of- —
' “fences.has been increased from
six months to 12 months, effec-

tive April 1, 1999. a

. The, prohibition . from wa dtiving .
automatically applies upon con-'
viction of offences underx the

Criminal Code of Canada in-

volving the operation of a motor

Doctors have been practising “wellness”
for years, and we welcome the B.C. Govern-
ment'’s interest in what we've always called
preventive medicine, _

We spend years in medical school and
“practical training so we can specialize in you and

your family. Providing continuity of care
with confidentiality and a personal touch i is.
what we do every day.

all m traffic ;
alcohol, That means that 231

-vehicle for offences such as driv-
-ing over 0.08, impaired driving,
hit .and run and criminal.
7 negligence. : Cs

“During 1988, 37 percent of
fatalities involved

people died needlessly,*? Ree

said. ‘‘This increased prohibi-

tion should -sent out a strong

Message to drinking drivers that
their behavior is unacceptable.”

ar suspensions

The prohibition will be in ad-
dition to any other penalty im-
posed. by the.Court and is the
minimum for. these offences.

. “We will riot stop in our ef-
forts to reduce the incidence of .
drinking and driving ‘which -
causes untold suffering and”
pain,’’ Ree said. ‘‘In addition to.
personal losses, traffic accidents -

cost the taxpayers of British Col- |

umbia over $2 billion a year.

“This prohibition should be
oné more deterrent for those:
who contemplate driving while’.

impaired,” Ree added.

The ‘extension ‘of the man-
» datory prohibition i is part of the
Solicitor General’s new ‘traffic
safety initiative,. announced
February 13, 1989. “Traffic.

‘safety is a high priority for me,”’

Ree said:

Our job is to keep our patients healthy
and heal them when they're sick. And that’s what

wellness is all about. |

~ BC Doctors

SPEAKING OUT FOR YOUR HEALTH
ee 7 | S British Columbia Medical Association