A new drowning report, released by the Lifesaving Society of Manitoba, has adjusted the parameters under which is reports drownings caused by impairment.

That's because cannabis is now legal to purchase and use in Canada.

Up until now, the organization has considered alcohol as the only legal substance that could influence a drowning incident, according to Acting CAO Kevin Tordiffe.

Tordiffe explained their latest report has taken a broader look at the issue.

"It's the legalization of cannabis in Canada that motivated us to take a look at this. This year we started to get a lot of questions about what the influence of cannabis might be. When we looked back at past reports we noticed we never had anything other than alcohol reported."

Tordiffe said their reports combine all forms of impairment as influences to drowning. Cannabis had been part of the illegal drug category up until this month. Over the past ten years, cannabis and all other illegal drugs contributed to seven percent of all drownings reported.

"Legal drugs -- prescription medications -- is contributing to about four percent of drowning incidents," continues Tordiffe. "The culprit that we have been tracking for many years when it comes to drowning is alcohol. And alcohol still remains a very high percentage at 37 percent across the country."

He says impairment is not limited to driving a car or boat. Tordiffe notes you could be walking near water, and adds being under the influence can impact your ability to survive an accidental fall into the water. He says the bottom line is to maintain sobriety around water.