Lindsay Made Unwitting Poster Child for Drunkards

Lindsay Lohan, Interlock Ignition Ad USA Today/Interlockfacts.com

Here's guessing Lindsay Lohan won't be renewing her USA Today subscription.

The actress' attorney, Blair Berk, is blasting the ordinarily banal publication as "idiotic" for running a full-page advertisement Friday that uses Lohan's mug—and mug shot—to rail against an anti-DUI device.

The ad, bankrolled for by the American Beverage Institute, a trade group for liquor companies, states that ignition interlockers, which prevent a car from starting if booze is detected on the driver's breath, "are a great tool for getting hard-core drunk drivers off our roads" (presumably including Lindsay, or "Lindsey" as the print version misspells it) but otherwise infringes on civil liberties.

Making such devices standard would create a doomsday scenario, per the ad: "No more champagne toasts at weddings, no more wine with dinner, no more beers at a ballgame. Let's stop drunk driving without eliminating our traditions."

And that made Lohan's lawyer apoplectic.

"USA Today is idiotic to run such an irresponsible advertisement suggesting that drinking and driving is some kind of American 'tradition' we should protect," Berk said in a statement to E! News. "Not identifying that this ad was paid for by the liquor and restaurant industries is profoundly reckless.

"Drunk white businessmen, drunk housewives out for girls night out and drunk wedding parties should be kept off the roads of America. Lindsay Lohan fully endorses ignition interlock devices, which have been well-proven to save lives."

A spokeswoman for the American Beverage Institute said the mug shot was part of the public record and Lohan was fair game.

"The reason that we used Lindsay Lohan is because she's had multiple DUIs that have been high profile," American Beverage Institute managing director Sarah Longwell told the Associated Press, adding that the lobbying group took out the ad in response to several states enacting laws forcing first-time offenders to use interlockers.

"We needed to create the distinction for the public what someone with multiple DUIs looked like versus a low blood-alcohol-level first-time offender."

USA Today, meanwhile, sought to remain above the fray, calling its ad pages "a forum for competing views."

24 Comments

Now loading...

Add Your Comment!

Guests

E! Online members

Register | Forgot password?

Play nice and have fun. And please, no HTML tags or special characters including [&*#()!@$].
You've got 1000 characters left.

Post Comment

E! News Now

  • Christie Brinkley's Ex Tells All

    In a special sneak peek during "The View," Barbara Walters promotes her interview with Peter Cooke.

  • Kanye West Digs Ellen's Style

    Hear what the opinionated hip-hop superstar thinks of daytime funnygal Ellen DeGeneres' threads.

  • Brit's Backstage Sneak Peek

    Can't wait for the video to Britney Spears' latest single "Womanizer"? We've got behind-the-scenes pics to quench your thirst.

  • Showing Love to Leading Ladies

    Nicole Kidman, Jane Fonda, and more share the spotlight at the 15th Annual Women of Hollywood tribute. Get the details.

Get Your E! News Now

Text ENEWS to 4INFO (44636) for daily celeb news alerts

Standard messaging rates apply.

Did you know you can grab smokin' hot E! Online news, review and gossip through our RSS service?

New to RSS feeds? Learn more >>

Birthdate:

Enter your full birthdate:

has been subscribed to the E! News Now Newsletter.

To change your settings, go to your preferences.

E! News Now

  • Christie Brinkley's Ex Tells All

    In a special sneak peek during "The View," Barbara Walters promotes her interview with Peter Cooke.

  • Kanye West Digs Ellen's Style

    Hear what the opinionated hip-hop superstar thinks of daytime funnygal Ellen DeGeneres' threads.

  • Brit's Backstage Sneak Peek

    Can't wait for the video to Britney Spears' latest single "Womanizer"? We've got behind-the-scenes pics to quench your thirst.

  • Showing Love to Leading Ladies

    Nicole Kidman, Jane Fonda, and more share the spotlight at the 15th Annual Women of Hollywood tribute. Get the details.