Canada is loosening up laws on drunk kayaking – but you still shouldn’t do it

Here’s something to give some thought to: drinking and kayaking is a thing that people do.

At least it is in Canada, where boating is popular and people caught doing it drunk, even in a canoe or kayak, face potential fines, the loss of their driver's license, having their car impounded and even imprisonment, according to the BBC. Between 1991 and 2010, alcohol was either the cause or suspected cause in 375 deaths in boats without motors (kayaks, canoes, etc.) in Canada, according to the BBC.

In April, an Ontario man tipped a canoe, sending an eight-year old boy into the water. He was swept over a nearby waterfall and died. The man was charged with impaired operation of a vehicle causing death, according to the Toronto Sun.

But the government is now looking at legislation that exclude any human-powered boats from its DUI laws. The change comes as the government reworks its impaired driving laws ahead of the legalization of marijuana, according to a post at National Post.

If nothing else, this should be a reminder to those of us in the U.S. you too can get a DUI for being drunk in a kayak.

“You can get a BUI for paddling a canoe while under the influence,” according to the U.S. Coast Guard’s blog. “BUI laws pertain to all vessels, from canoes and rowboats to the largest ships. People sometimes let their guard down while ‘floating’ in boats without motors.”

Joshua Tehee, 559-441-6479, jtehee@fresnobee.com

This story was originally published September 29, 2017 at 3:52 PM with the headline "Canada is loosening up laws on drunk kayaking – but you still shouldn’t do it."