Breathalyzer rules reinstated in Ontario

Effective November 17, 2203, the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO) is reinstating breathalyzer testing for harness racing participants in Safety Sensitive Positions, including drivers and track maintenance personnel to ensure continued safety.

When the Ontario government lifted the COVID-19 provincial emergency order in February 2021 allowing horse racing to resume, the AGCO temporarily amended several rules to accommodate the safe return to racing and ease industry burden, while ensuring welfare for equine and human athletes and other racing participants.

Since then, the AGCO has been actively monitoring the impact of these temporary changes and determined that, with the public health restrictions lifted, breath analysis rules can now be safely reinstated, and breath alcohol testing will resume. The breathalyzer test remains the most effective tool for determining alcohol impairment, which is a significant risk to health and safety of human and equine athletes.

The temporary rule limiting the timeframe that drivers are required to report to the paddock is also being withdrawn. Given that social gathering restrictions are no longer in effect, participants will once again be required to arrive one hour before a race, allowing for more assessment time with the reinstatement of the breathalyzer requirement.

The below rules of racing will be reinstated effective November 17, 2023.

Safety Sensitive Positions

The following rule in Chapter 36: Alcohol and Drug Violations – Human of the Standardbred Rules of Racing is being reinstated:

36.01 A licensee in a Safety Sensitive Position is prohibited from […]: (d) Performing activities of the Safety Sensitive Position at a licensed facility while having a BAC of .02 or higher.

Maintaining Social Distancing in the Paddock

The following rules in Chapter 25: Drivers of the Standardbred Rules of Racing are being reinstated:

25.03 Drivers must report to the paddock judge at least one hour before post time of any race in which they are programmed to drive, unless excused by the Judges.

From the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario