Drinking & Driving Double in Ponoka

The Red Deer Advocate is reporting that "Ponoka drunk driving more than doubles Alberta average." This is the statistic shared by CMP Staff Sgt. Cameron Chisholm when he explained this week that the town’s 2012 rate of 1,181 impaired drivers per 100,000 population was 2.62 times the provincial rate of 450 per 100,000.


The town of Ponoka is proposing a bylaw to restrict liquor store sales and hotel liquor off sales to 10:00 am to 10:00 pm. The statistics are quite remarkable and a tough shot of reality. Another Statistic Chisholm shared states:

•  One impaired driver is charged for every 84 Ponoka residents, compared to Red Deer’s rate of one for every 287 residents and Lacombe’s rate of one for every 780 residents.

The facts seem to speak for themselves as residents in Ponoka come to terms with the reality of alcohols grip here. With the recent addition of yet another liquor store, Ponoka now has six liquor stores, and two off-sales locations.

This is our home. This is our community. For our safety ... for our families ... for our community, something has to be done, before the statistics become more than just drinking and driving charges ...