Ingersoll District Collegiate Institute students and staff watch as grade 11 student Marshall Cowell is handcuffed by police during a mock drunk driving collision at the school on April 26, 2012. (CRAIG GLOVER/QMI AGENCY)

OTTAWA - Drunk driving during the holidays is at its highest in eight years, say Ontario Provincial Police.

OPP officers charged 693 people with having a blood alcohol concentration level over .08.

In addition, 625 “warn range” suspensions were issued to motorists caught driving with between .05 and .08.

“We had hoped to see these numbers decrease significantly during this year’s campaign, in light of how much harder we have worked to educate the public about the dangers of drinking and driving,” OPP Commissioner Chris Lewis said.