A fate worse than death.

Police officers in Canada are gearing up for holiday drink-driving with an unusual form of punishment – exposure to popular local rock band Nickelback.

Kensington Police Service, which operates on Prince Edward Island notified followers on Facebook this weekend that it had a new punishment in mind. “If you are foolish enough to get behind the wheel after drinking,” they stated. “Then a little Chad Kroeger and the boys is the perfect gift for you”.

The local cops are no doubt familiar with the fact that the band, while massively popular in the ‘90s and ‘00s, are now often (and quite rightly) derided for being shit. Playing the band’s 2001 album Silver Side Up in its entirety to an unwilling subject no doubt breaks plenty of anti torture laws – if not, someone should call Justin Trudeau immediately.

Thankfully, Kensington Police Service has assured followers that they don’t even want to open the cassette if they don’t have to, saying: “Please, lets not ruin a perfectly good unopened copy of Nickelback. You don’t drink and drive and we won’t make you listen to it.” [via BBC News]

Update, Dec. 2: Nickelback got wind of all this and Nickelbacked it all up!

TMZ reports the band’s rep politely told the police to stop the joke. The police apologized saying they didn’t mean to embarrass the band, they were simply looking for effective ways to spread anti-DUI messages.