Not a Mermaid: Special Coffee Sleeves Part of DUI Awareness Program

If you get your java jolt from a coffee stand in Edmonds, your cup sleeve may look a little different next week.

Snohomish County’s DUI & Target Zero Task Force and local law enforcement agencies are distributing 12,000 coffee sleeves to area coffee stands today to raise awareness about drinking and driving this holiday season. The sleeves will be placed on coffee cups beginning Dec. 16.

"This has been a popular community outreach project," said Tracy S. McMillan, Target Zero Manager. "I think we could have ordered 10 times as many coffee sleeves in order to fill the demand.

This awareness campaign was made possible through a $1,000 traffic-safety grant from the Washington Traffic Safety Commission.

Their “Choose Your Ride” logo, which is a picture of a vehicle that is half police car and half taxi, is being printed on more than 6,000 coffee sleeves. The printed message is a reminder to not drink and drive with an emphasis on the letters "D, I, E" to help bring the message home. 

“This coincides with the patrol called ‘Night of 1000 Stars’ in which 1,000 law enforcement badges will be looking for impaired drivers throughout Washington state,” Snohomish County Executive Aaron Reardon said.

“We want everyone to have a safe holiday season and are asking those celebrating to think before they drink and to choose a safe way to get home,” said Conrad Thompson, chairman of the DUI & Target Zero Task Force. “With shrinking budgets and resources, community support is more important than ever.”