| "Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) was | | | | the admirable goal of reducing drunk driving traffic |
| founded in 1980 by Candy Lightner, whose | | | | fatalities by educating the nation about the |
| daughter was tragically killed by a drunk driver | | | | devastation caused by drunk drivers. For the first |
| who was a repeat offender. The goal of MADD | | | | 15 years, this strategy paid off: MADD's public |
| was to reduce drunk driving traffic fatalities and | | | | relations campaigns played a key role in changing |
| the organization has been highly effective in raising | | | | the nation's attitude about drunk driving, resulting |
| public disapproval of drunk driving. The proportion | | | | in a huge drop-off in drunk driving deaths. MADD |
| of traffic fatalities that are alcohol-related has | | | | was so successful that it reached its goal for |
| dropped dramatically, in part because of MADD's | | | | 2000 (to reduce alcohol-related deaths by 20%) in |
| good efforts. MADD is a single-issue non-profit | | | | 1997. |
| anti-drunk driving organization in the United States | | | | MADD'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 Metroplex | | | | another 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 or | | | | evidence that taxes are more likely to reduce |
| moderate alcohol consumption, even when it isn't | | | | underage 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 empty | | | | with the group. In 2002, she told the Washington |
| glasses of alcohol surrounded by the words | | | | Times, "[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 with | | | | envisioned … I didn't start MADD to deal |
| heroin by depicting a beer bottle as a drug | | | | with alcohol. I started MADD to deal with the |
| syringe. | | | | issue of drunk driving." |
| 3. MADD sells a television ad insisting that ""if you | | | | In the 1980s, MADD had success in helping change |
| think there's a difference"" between heroin and | | | | public 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 become | | | | Against Drunk Driving was founded), |
| not simply anti-drunk driving or even anti-impaired | | | | alcohol-related traffic fatalities have decreased by |
| driving, but anti-alcohol. MADD's temperance | | | | about 44 percent, from over 30,000 to under |
| orientation expresses itself in many ways, as | | | | 17,000 and MADD has helped save over 300,000 |
| seen in Is MADD Neo-Prohibitionist? | | | | lives. |
| Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) began with | | | | |