An annual anti-drunk driving campaign is reaching out to a growing demographic.
The Mothers Against Drunk Driving Organization is targeting the Latino community this holiday season.
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, Latinos have the second highest rate of drinking and driving incidents. They are also more likely than other groups to ride in vehicles operated by drivers under the influence.
That is why the Mothers Against Drunk Driving Organization is reaching out to the Latino community this year.
MADD is partnering with Northgate Gonzalez Market and select new car dealerships to help distribute its red ribbons in support of its campaign.
Eloisa Orozco, the executive director and Latino chair for MADD, says the organization is also offering workshops in Spanish. So far, the district attorney's office has prosecuted 8,000 DUI cases this year. This year's campaign also highlights recent drunk-driver related cases like Elaina Ortiz.
Ortiz, a 21-year-old San Diego woman, was killed by a drunk-driver back on New Year’s Day of 2010. Her cousin Michele Eastland has partnered with MADD to share her story.
"I live it over and over again, but I'd rather use her story and not let her die in vain. I want her story to live on and people to learn,” says Eastland.
