Lohan mugshot used for ad
2008-05-04 12:36
Los Angeles - A US restaurant and
liquor group used a mugshot 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.
Actress endorses it
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 website
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 US wine,
beer and spirits suppliers that promotes responsible drinking
by adults.
The ABI said it planned to use the mugshots 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 US states have passed laws allowing the installation
of in-car breathalysers 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.