Anti-drug, non-profit websites have a habit of being either dry or so ridiculously overdone that it can make even a seasoned web surfer's eyes bleed. (Don't get me started on the Sunny Side of Truth website…the left navigation bar still infuriates me.)

Today I have discovered a non-profit website that not only gets direct to the point, but utilizes creative Web 2.0 gimmicks.

Through an advertisement on YouTube's homepage, I found the Full Apologies site, dedicated to stopping drunk driving.  The ad cleverly asked me, "What would you do if you killed your best friend?" and invited me to view someone's apology for doing just that.  Admittedly curious, I clicked on the link.

What I found was a simple, yet effective, site that had taken the time to think of its audience rather than snagging all the latest toys from the Web 2.0 grab bag (which is getting pretty heavy).  Upon first entering the site, there is a view of five teenagers' faces with their biographies under them.  Clicking on one of them will begin playing their "apology" to a loved one for their drunk driving mistake.  The video automatically displays in full screen mode, which design-wise, adds a lot to the overall effect.  It's as if they are talking to me, because there head is the size of my head!

The apologies are…for lack of a better word, intense.  I was expecting the same kind of thing I have seen in tobacco commercials on television, but what I got was seemingly sincere monologues filled with tears, bleeped-out cursing, and emotion.  I had to take breaks in between each of them to gather myself.

After the initial videos, a user is likely to notice the top navigation bar which contains several clever features.  Of course, there are the obligatory help-line phone numbers and information, but the creators of the site got clever with the other parts.

Two digital shorts show what life would be like after you survived a drunk driving accident.  These are just as intense and thought-provoking as the apologies.  A section titled "Visitor Apologies" lets users write anonymous text about their experiences with drinking and driving.  These apologies can be viewed as a list or in a funky 3D format.

Two other notable features that I found unique were the "Responsibility Randomizer" and the "B Safe Txtrs".  The Randomizer allows you the input your cell phone number along with your friends, and the program will send a text message to all the phones, picking someone as the designated driver for the night.  The site claims that everyone will know "who to thank at the end of the night".

B Safe Txtrs is similar to the Randomizer.  The user inputs their cell phone number as well as a message and time.  The program will send that text message to your phone at the designated time, which the creators intend to be something along the lines of "Don't Drink and Drive tonight."  It's simple and mundane, but seems like something that might work.

Thankfully, the site doesn't go overboard with social networking options, which would clutter this simple site.  Users can email the site link to a friend or post a message about it through Facebook.

That's it.  No useless fluff.  No unnecessary style or animation.  Just some jarring testimonies and potentially useful tools.