KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 1 — Fourteen people were made to clean a funeral home in Taitung, Taiwan after they were found guilty of drunk driving.
The punishment came at a time of the Hungry Ghost Festival that started on Friday, July 29, Taiwan News reported.
Offenders were asked to clean the embalming room, body washing table, the morgue, and other facilities at the home.
The community service is designed to drive home the message that lives could be lost due to impaired driving.
Taitung was said to have recorded 1,169 drunk driving cases last year, or 15.87 per cent of the total numbers nationwide.
The Taitung District Prosecutors Office reportedly said drunk driving was a serious issue in the county and has become a high social cost.
The office also urged the public to seek treatment at hospitals for excessive alcohol use.
Taiwan had earlier this year introduced tougher penalties for driving under the influence offenses, including jail terms and the disclosure of repeat offenders identities.
