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DENVER (AP) — Colorado, where recreational marijuana is legal, is now trying to combat stoned driving in the state.
The Colorado Department of Transportation has come out with a $1 million ad campaign called "Drive High, Get a DUI," which reminds drivers that pot should be treated like alcohol.
One ad shows a spaced-out basketball player at the foul line in a playground, endlessly dribbling while his teammates wait in frustration.
Another ad shows a middle-aged man who hangs a flat-screen TV and celebrates with some tortilla chips and salsa, only to see the TV crash to the floor and shatter.
Bob Ticer, the chairman of Colorado's Interagency Task Force on Drunk Driving, says, "Enforcement is very important when it comes to impaired driving, but education is equally important."
The Colorado State Patrol says since January, about one-half of all the impaired drivers stopped in the state had smoked marijuana.
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035-v-33-(Ross Simpson, AP correspondent)--Colorado is spending $1 million on television ads making fun of marijuana users who space out during everyday activities, an effort to stop stoned driving. AP correspondent Ross Simpson reports. (7 Mar 2014)
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037-c-24-(Ross Simpson, AP correspondent)-"stoned driving problematic"-AP correspondent Ross Simpson reports the campaign comes as Colorado struggles to keep accurate statewide records on marijuana-impaired drivers. (7 Mar 2014)
<<CUT *037 (03/07/14)££ 00:24 "stoned driving problematic"
036-c-18-(Ross Simpson, AP correspondent)-"the ad concludes"-AP correspondent Ross Simpson reports Colorado has launched a TV ad campaign to cut down on driving stoned. (7 Mar 2014)
<<CUT *036 (03/07/14)££ 00:18 "the ad concludes"
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