NIU students got a taste of being designated drivers.
The NIU student chapter of the Illinois Public Health Association arranged the first designated driver night at McCabe’s, 323 E. Lincoln Hwy., last Friday.
The night was a class project for Allied Health Profession 520, said Gina Piane, assistant professor of the School of Allied Health Professionals.
“Students arranged to have people sign in at McCabe’s as the designated driver and they (the designated driver) received a free non-alcoholic drink,” she said.
The night was “to build awareness and show that being a designated driver is a good, responsible thing,” Piane said.
Glenn Goering, owner and manager of McCabe’s, said he would continue the project.
“For the first one, I think it was very successful,” he said. “It went substantially better than I thought it would.”
Goering said he is planning to set up a designated driver program in the McCabe’s liquor store. “The designated drivers will wear a button and will be entitled to one free non-alcoholic drink per hour,” Goering said.
“We’ve also added a breath analyst machine,” he said. “The designated driver can still have a drink and monitor whether they are able to drive home.”