Full-Page Ad in USA TODAY Says Ignition Interlocks are Good for Lindsay Lohan, Bad for Moderate Social Drinkers

WASHINGTON, May 2 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Today the American Beverage Institute (ABI) launched a national radio and print advertising campaign to educate the public about the proper application of ignition interlock devices (IID).

A full-page ad running in USA TODAY explains that while IIDs are a good idea for someone like Lindsay Lohan (pictured in the ad) who has multiple DUI arrests, they shouldn't be applied to all drivers. The text of the ad reads:

Ignition interlocks, or in-car breathalyzers, are a great tool for getting hard-core drunk drivers off our roads. However, activists now want to put one in every car in America. That means the end of moderate and responsible drinking prior to driving...No more champagne toasts at weddings, no more wine with dinner, no more beers at a ballgame.

Let's stop drunk driving without eliminating our traditions.

While the ABI aggressively supports the use of interlocks as punishment for high-BAC (.15% and above) drunk drivers and repeat offenders, it opposes mandating the technology for low-BAC (between .08% and .15%), first-time offenders. ABI further opposes any efforts to make the device standard equipment in all cars, as many groups are now proposing.

To date, nine states have passed low-BAC, first offender mandates and five additional states are currently considering bills.

"The proliferation of low-BAC, first offender ignition interlock bills is a sign of things to come," said Sarah Longwell, Managing Director of the ABI. "Activist groups have made their intention to put interlocks in all cars clear, and mandating the device for those who have driven while one sip over the legal limit is a giant step in that direction."

Longwell continued, "By mandating interlocks for those who drive with a .08% BAC level-- behavior that many studies have shown to be less dangerous than driving while talking on a hands-free cell phone--we have lost focus on the real drunk driving problem: high-BAC and repeat offenders."

The American Beverage Institute is an association of restaurants committed to the responsible serving of adult beverages. To learn more visit: www.AmericanBeverageInstitute.com. For further information or to arrange an interview please call Sarah Longwell at (202) 463-7110.

SOURCE The American Beverage Institute

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