Know the Signs!

This is a Sponsored Post written by me on behalf of Heineken. All opinions are 100% mine.

If there is anything I hate about driving, it’s the concern of drunken drivers on the road. The headlines are filled with reports of jerks who drink way too much and get behind the wheel. It’s very, very evident that drunken driving puts innocent people at risk; our news reports in rural Central New York are full of DWI reports, and many people have been killed. It’s rather rural up here, so you need a car to go anywhere. And I know not all go to bars to get blasted and then start driving like maniacs– sometimes a couple goes out to a beautiful restaurant, has a terrific meal with some wine or beer, and doesn’t realize that one or the other is too impaired to drive. You can say “Do not drink and drive” on the commercials a billion times, but some people just never make the association, do they?

Well, friends help friends. And like the adage goes, “Friends don’t let friends drive drunk.” Sometimes the situation is a sticky one. Maybe you are a timid person, or maybe your friend or loved one gets a little cranky or needs some inspiration to realize he is not fit to drive. Heineken has made things a little easier by adding some humor into the situation, with their Enjoy Heineken Responsibly campaign. It is quite popular: through humor, they are creating awareness of the seriousness of drinking and driving. They have started up the The Heineken Know The Signs website, with goofy videos that (hopefully) make people more aware of the responsibilities associated with social interacting and the serious dangers of drinking and driving. And Heineken has now developed something further, to “drive” the point home even more, so to speak: it’s a cute iPhone app called the Breathalyzer; Download the Heineken Breathalyzer iPhone app here.

The Heineken Breathalyzer iPhone app includes ratings for various levels of imbibing: The Fighter, The Exhibitionist, The Sleeper, The Stumbler, and etc. Of course, the app doesn’t really monitor and measure alcohol from someone’s breath– you preset the app to one of the characters, hand the phone to your friend, and watch the rating appear. Cute. Let’s hope you’re not with the kind of crowd that gets The Fighter or The Exhibitionist rating. :-p

We’re always hearing about the negative aspects of technology when it comes to social interaction (such as firing people via email, or ending a relationship via text messaging). The Heineken Breathalyzer app uses technology in a positively social way. Of course, it would be better not to get drunk at all, hello! But if you’re in an uncomfortable situation, whether it be with a friend, a loved one, or even someone you don’t know and are acting as a friend and concerned citizen, you can have a little fun and maybe save a life by intervening with this app. You never know.