<P> The Criminal Code gives the police a number of powers to assist in the enforcement of the offences, and there are a number of presumptions that assist in the prosecution of the offences . </P> <P> One of the first reported criminal cases regarding drinking and driving in Canada was an Alberta decision in 1920 called R. v. Nickle . In that case, the appeal court found that the act of driving while intoxicated was an unlawful act that could support a manslaughter conviction . </P> <P> In 1921, the Parliament of Canada first created a summary conviction offence for drinking and driving, called "driving while intoxicated". At the time, the courts interpreted intoxication to mean substantial inebriation, and more than just being under the influence of alcohol . The minimum penalty for the first offence was seven days in jail . The minimum penalty for the second offence was one month in jail . The minimum penalty for a third offence was three months in jail . </P> <P> In 1925, Parliament amended the Criminal Code to include a new offence of driving while intoxicated by a narcotic . The offences were also amended to include "care or control" of a motor vehicle, not just driving . (See below .) </P>

When did drinking and driving become illegal in canada