Congratulations to our newest MADD VA Victim Advocates!!

A MADD Victim Assistance Training Institute was held in Charlottesville this month thanks to Victims of Crime Act funding awarded to MADD VA by the Virginia Department of Criminal Justice Services. Volunteers from around the state, all of whom lost a loved one or were injured in an impaired driving crash, were trained to provide victim assistance.   For information about victim services in Virginia, contact lara.bradshaw@madd.org or emily.barker@madd.org in the State office or noreen.dinndorf@madd.org in the northern Virginia office.

Victim support and assistance is available 24 hours a day by calling 877.madd.help

Marijuana and Driving in VA

• Virginia doctors can now recommend cannabidiol oil (CBD) as a treatment for any diagnosed condition or disease. The Virginia legislature approved a regulatory program for the in-state production of medical cannabis oil. The sale of medical THC oil has been the first step toward full legalization of marijuana in every state where it has become legal.

Things to Know About Marijuana and Driving…

• Alcohol and marijuana each play a significant role in fatal crashes and when used in combination, the results can be even more deadly.¹  
• There is no widely accepted, standardized amount of THC in the breath or blood that gives police or courts or anyone else a good sense of who is impaired. While alcohol concentration (BAC or BrAC) is an accurate measurement of alcohol impairment, just the presence of THC in the driver’s body has not been shown to be a reliable measure of marijuana impairment of driving. See articles about law enforcement concerns in Oklahoma and Massachusetts and the response to legalization in Canada).
• Marijuana is addictive and states with legalized marijuana have increased numbers of youth who use it.² Just the ads for medical marijuana may increase teen use. Therefore we have the same concerns as we do with underage drinking for the health of our youth and the safety of our roads.

To learn more about marijuana and driving: MADD: Drugged Driving,  Centers for Disease Control,  Smart Approaches to Marijuana: Lessons Learned After Marijuana Legalization,  Smart Approaches to Marijuana: Marijuana and Driving,  Community Coalitions of Virginia

Calendar

MADD Regional Law Enforcement Awards Are Coming Up!

• 8/23/18 Virginia Beach
• 9/6/18 Harrisonburg
• 9/7/18 Roanoke
• 9/13/18 Abingdon
• 9/20/18 Staunton/Charlottesville
• Stratford Hall - TBD
• Peninsula - TBD
• Northern Virginia –TBD

Does your law enforcement agency participate? If not, contact Jamie.jarrard@madd.org for more information.

10/13/18 - Northern VA Walk Like MADD/MADD Dash - in Herndon. Volunteers Needed! Contact jennifer.hamilton@madd.org

10/23-31/18 - Red Ribbon Week 2018. Contact cristi.cousins@madd.org to partner with MADD in your community.

11/19/18 - Richmond Candlelight Vigil, Lewis Ginter Botanical Gardens. Pictures from last year.

Impaired Driving Stories in the News                

7/13/18 Brandon Carneal, 26, Virginia Beach

7/9/18 David Scott King, 44, Roanoke County

7/8/18 Vang Houn, 80, Dinwiddie County

State Police Arrest Nearly 1 Person an Hour Over July 4 Holiday

6/11/18 Former Reality Star Pleads Guilty in VA Beach Fatal Crash