April 26, 2017 — The Washington Post: “Jay A. Winsten thinks it’s time we use the secret weapon that reduced drunk driving fatalities in the United States to reduce the problem of distracted driving. It’s called shame. To work, the campaign will most likely need to enlist the most shameless of industries: Hollywood. Winsten knows what he’s talking about. The Harvard University scholar helped popularize the concept of the designated driver in the United States three decades ago. His campaign filtered the message through TV shows and pop culture to shift public attitudes. But Winsten, who is associate dean of the Harvard School of Public Health, also believes that the looming fight against distracted driving will be more difficult…In a wide-ranging chat, Winsten discussed how he conducted his previous campaign to combat drunk driving, ideas he’d like to borrow from the U.S. Air Force and the New England Patriots, the possible benefits of backseat-driving, the lucky timing of a Hollywood writers strike, and how Cheers — the classic TV sitcom about a bar and its lovable bunch of regulars — did its part to keep drunk drivers off the road.”
Read The Washington Post “Tripping” interview.
Center for Health Communication
