Stay Informed

Sign up for news & alerts

Already signed up?
Login here
What Can I Do?


Get Help
Need alcohol or drug help for yourself or someone else? GET HELP
Continuing Education
Free online courses for addiction counselors LEARN ONLINE
Resources
Resources
Find useful publications, online documents & more.


DrugScreening.org


 

Medical Students Launch Drunk-Driving Awareness Program
September 3, 2004

Share Share Email
Email
Print
Print
SubscribeSubscribe
News Summary

Students at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York have launched Doctors for Designated Drivers (DFDD), a program aimed at informing the public about the dangers of drinking and driving and promoting the practice of using a designated driver, the Bronx Times reported Aug. 26.

The non-profit group was formed by Howard Forman, co-chair of the American Medical Association Action Team on Alcohol and Health. The group is asking establishments where alcohol is served to provide an incentive, such as free admission or free non-alcoholic beverages throughout the night, to designated drivers.

"The great difficulty of our mission is that some bar owners will be unhappy because they believe they would lose business as a result of the incentive," said Arkady Broder, senior vice president of public relations for DFDD and a second-year medical student at Einstein.

DFDD is currently lobbying for the incentive program in Washington, D.C. and in New York, with the hope that the idea will catch on nationally.

"Our goal is to educate the public of the important issues and to show that it is completely unacceptable to drink and drive," said Broder. "In other parts of the world, such as Scotland, it is shameful to drive while intoxicated. We want to reshape the way drunken driving is viewed in the United States."

COMMENTS ON THIS ARTICLE:

Your Turn! Post a public comment (read guidelines):

Name:

Comment:
(limit 200
words)

Enter this word
(help):
Change

GUIDELINES: 
To keep this feature useful for all, please:

  1. Keep it clean, courteous, and on-topic. Comments are meant for thoughtful discussion of the article published above.

  2. Do not post promotional links to organizations, products or services, or personal requests for assistance (get help).

  3. Proof your comments carefully, use good spelling and punctuation, and don't use ALL CAPS. Comments are published immediately and cannot be edited.

Deceptive, slanderous and commercially-motivated posts are prohibited. We reserve the right to remove comments not conforming to these guidelines. (Report a comment).

Have questions or feedback? Contact us.