UNR program takes aim at drunken driving

RENO -- The University of Nevada, Reno has launched a new program to prevent drunken driving by enlisting local bars to provide free nonalcoholic drinks to students identified as designated drivers.

UNR and Truckee Meadows Community College students can sign a pledge, promising to serve as designated drivers when wearing free, serial-numbered "Wolf Tags."

More than 600 students already have signed up for the program created by UNR's Office of Student Conduct.

The tags become available on Wednesday, three days before the Wolf Pack's Oct. 3 football game against its archrival, the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. The timing is no coincidence.

"We did that on purpose," said Charlene Rigdon, a graduate student and coordinator of the Office of Student Conduct's "Do the Ride Thing" campaign.

"A lot of the problems at the games are caused by unruly behavior that involves alcohol," she said. "We want students to have fun, but we want them to think about how to be responsible and to encourage good sportsmanship."

The tags, Ridgon said, are a reminder to students to think about what they are going to do before they go out.

"Usually, students go out and start drinking, but no one has decided on a designated driver," she said. "This motivates them to make a responsible decision before they go out by saying, 'I'm going to wear my Wolf Tags because I'm not going to drink tonight.'"