Pot-smoking by ferry crew reported

OTTAWA, Oct. 17 (UPI) -- Several crew members of a Canadian ferry smoked pot regularly but those on the bridge when it hit an island and sank in 2006 were not impaired, it was reported.

The Canadian Transportation Safety Board has requested that BC Ferries determine whether crew members on other vessels it operates smoke marijuana or whether the practice was isolated to the Queen of the North, which hit Gil Island off the British Columbia coast, the Canadian Broadcasting Corp. reported Wednesday. While the board said it found no evidence crew members were high when the fatal accident occurred, Chairwoman Wendy Tadros wrote such drug use is a clear risk to the traveling public, the network said.

BC Ferries President David Hahn is calling for federally mandated drug and alcohol testing, the CBC said. He said his company has had a drug and alcohol abuse police since 1997, including a zero-tolerance policy since 2005, and that employees have been fired for drug use.

Two people are believed to have died when the 375-foot ship sank. Ninety-nine passengers were rescued. The company blamed the accident on human error, saying three crew members failed to make a required course change.