title: MADD rates the states: a media advocacy event to advance the agenda against alcohol-impaired driving.
abstract: The "Rating the States" (RTS) Program of Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) is designed to bring public attention to the status of State government efforts to combat alcohol-impaired driving. MADD's 1993 report, which evaluated each State with a grade from A to D, brought renewed visibility to MADD's fight for new prevention policies and helped to advance key State legislation. Because of MADD's national press conference and other media activities, more than 60 million Americans saw or heard a news story related to the program. This article outlines the program's objectives and methodology, efforts to publicize the results, and what was achieved in terms of news media coverage and in advancing public policy change. The RTS Program is a proven media advocacy strategy for prompting State legislatures and Governors to enact new policies. The article concludes with guidelines for other public health advocacy groups that may want to emulate this strategy.
authors.affiliation: Department of Health and Social Behavior, Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, MA 02115, USA.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Russell
authors.forename: R B
authors.initials: RB
authors.lastname: Voas
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Dejong
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Chaloupka
mesh_terms: D000063:Accidents, Traffic / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence / Q000517:prevention & control*; D000435:Alcoholic Intoxication; D003254:Consumer Advocacy; D003255:Consumer Organizations; D006801:Humans; D007255:Information Services; D008402:Mass Media; D011640:Public Policy; D011641:Public Relations; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014481:United States