Mother Against Drunk Driving(madd): is it Neo-prohibitionist?

"Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) wasthe admirable goal of reducing drunk driving traffic
founded in 1980 by Candy Lightner, whosefatalities by educating the nation about the
daughter was tragically killed by a drunk driverdevastation caused by drunk drivers. For the first
who was a repeat offender. The goal of MADD15 years, this strategy paid off: MADD's public
was to reduce drunk driving traffic fatalities andrelations campaigns played a key role in changing
the organization has been highly effective in raisingthe nation's attitude about drunk driving, resulting
public disapproval of drunk driving. The proportionin a huge drop-off in drunk driving deaths. MADD
of traffic fatalities that are alcohol-related haswas so successful that it reached its goal for
dropped dramatically, in part because of MADD's2000 (to reduce alcohol-related deaths by 20%) in
good efforts. MADD is a single-issue non-profit1997.
anti-drunk driving organization in the United StatesMADD's campaign to make adult beverages more
and with a branch in Canada (see MADD Canada).expensive through drastically increased taxes is
MADD is based in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplexanother major tactic in their war on responsible
suburb of Irving, Texas.drinking. MADD says these tax hikes are a way
MADD's Goal: Is it Neo-Prohibitionist?to reduce underage drinking -- but lacks real
Mothers Against Drunk Driving stigmatizes light orevidence that taxes are more likely to reduce
moderate alcohol consumption, even when it isn'tunderage drinking than moderate consumption by
associated with either being underage or driving.responsible adults.
For example:MADD founder Candy Lightner has broken ties
1. MADD sells a graphic showing two emptywith the group. In 2002, she told the Washington
glasses of alcohol surrounded by the wordsTimes, "[MADD] has become far more
assault, drowning, burns, rape and suicide.neo-prohibitionist than I had ever wanted or
2. MADD sells a graphic that equates beer withenvisioned … I didn't start MADD to deal
heroin by depicting a beer bottle as a drugwith alcohol. I started MADD to deal with the
syringe.issue of drunk driving."
3. MADD sells a television ad insisting that ""if youIn the 1980s, MADD had success in helping change
think there's a difference"" between heroin andpublic attitudes and laws regarding driving under
alcohol, ""you're dead wrong.""the influence (DUI). Since 1980 (the year Mothers
Mothers Against Drunk Driving has clearly becomeAgainst Drunk Driving was founded),
not simply anti-drunk driving or even anti-impairedalcohol-related traffic fatalities have decreased by
driving, but anti-alcohol. MADD's temperanceabout 44 percent, from over 30,000 to under
orientation expresses itself in many ways, as17,000 and MADD has helped save over 300,000
seen in Is MADD Neo-Prohibitionist?lives.
Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) began with