A US restaurant and liquor group used a mug shot of troubled actress
Lindsay Lohan on Friday to launch a national campaign against the use of new
technology aimed at keeping drunks off the road.
A full page advertisement in the newspaper USA Today used the police shot of
Lohan after her arrest in Los Angeles last year for drunken driving under a
caption saying "Ignition interlocks. A good idea for:" (Lohan) "But a bad idea
for us:" showing pictures of adults drinking at weddings and restaurants.
The ad says ignition interlocks, which prevent intoxicated drivers from
starting their cars, are "a great tool for getting hard-core drunk drivers off
our roads."
But putting one in every person's car, as some people advocate, "means an end
to moderate and responsible drinking prior to driving ...," the ad says.
Lohan, now 21, became a poster child for under-age drinking last year when
she checked into rehab three times and was arrested and briefly jailed for
drunken driving and cocaine possession. The "Freaky Friday" and "Mean Girls"
star has since kept mostly out of trouble.
Lohan's lawyer Blair Berk said on Friday that the actress "fully endorses
ignition interlock devices." But in her statement, Berk added that it was
irresponsible to suggest that drinking and driving "is some kind of American
'tradition' we should protect."
The advertisement was paid for by Web site www.interlockfacts.com, which is
described as a "special project" of the American Beverage Institute. The ABI is
a restaurant trade association with strong links to U.S. wine, beer and spirits
suppliers that promotes responsible drinking by adults.
The ABI said it planned to use the mug shots of other celebrities arrested
for drunken driving in further campaigns but did not give details.
"These are public images. A lot of publications have used this (Lohan) shot.
We are not worried about any legal fallout," ABI managing director Sarah
Longwell told Reuters.
Longwell said the campaign was aimed at highlighting moves in the United
States to incorporate interlocking technology into all cars to stop drunken
driving.
Nine U.S. states have passed laws allowing the installation of in-car
breathalyzers used to lock ignition switches into cars of those who have been
convicted of first time drunk driving. The federal government has also funded a
research program into other devices.