Supporters say the new state law will help "shame" DWI offenders into better decision making in the future. "You cause them to go out and pick up trash in front of their friends and neighbors, the embarrassment is going to be such that they're never going to want to go through that again," said sponsor state Rep. Charles Curtiss. "Hopefully you can turn them around to never become a second-time offender."

But critics say the program will prove to be costly and ineffective if it does not include a treatment component. "If I'm forced to wear a sign saying that I'm a drunk driver, then I'm going to feel worse and worse about myself and I may drink more and more because I feel shunned," said Jacqueline Helfgott, chair of the criminal justice department at Seattle University.

Others criticized the measure because it reduced mandatory jail time for DWI offenders from 48 hours to 24 hours. "Although I am generally supportive of innovative forms of punishment to address this issue, I am concerned about the possibility of reduced jail time for DUI offenders," said Gov. Phil Bredesen. "The best deterrent to drunk driving is jail time, not community service," added Laura Dial, Tennessee's MADD director.

Davidson County Sheriff Daron Hall said the program will be expensive for counties and, "at the end of the weekend we're going to have a person who has picked up a lot of litter, but is still addicted to alcohol."

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