Harvard Alcohol Project Helps Bush Tape TV Ads

For the second year in a row, President Bush has worked with the Harvard Alcohol Project in taping a variety of television announcements urging against drunk driving.

Late last month in a Washington studio, Bush taped the announcements, which will air later this month.

The Harvard Alcohol Project, created in 1987 at the School of Public Health, runs a number of programs designed to increase national awareness of alcohol abuse.

Jay A. Winsten, director of the Center for Public Communication at the School of Public Health, said he expects Bush's return as a spokesperson should give valuable publicity to the Alcohol Project.

"Involving the president helps to lend visibility to the issue," Winsten said.

In a four-sentence statement, Bush calls every alcohol-related traffic crash "a tragedy that doesn't have to happen." In addition, he urges hosts to "choose a designated driver before any drinking begins."

"After all, the designated driver is the life of the party," Bush continues in the brief announcement.

While Bush's words were not addressed to any specific demographic group, Winsten said he hoped that not only individuals but institutions like major corporations will take notice of the message. A statement released by the Alcohol Project highlights its attempts to enlist nationwide support for corporate anti-drinking programs.

"The three-martini lunch is a thing of the past," Winsten said, citing a "much greater social conscience in American business" in recent years.

The Harvard Alcohol Project, which is widely credited with furthering the concept of the designated driver, has in the past recruited other celebrities--such as television journalist Mike Wallace and pop singer Carly Simon--to act as spokespersons.

"Different spokespersons will relate to different parts of the population," Winsten said.