Unfortunately, pre-drinking (the act of getting drunk prior to going out) is pretty common these days. But in Belgium the problem is huge: recent data shows that 80% of young Belgians do it. Mostly to avoid the high cost of drinking at venues. As a result, they drink massive amounts in a short amount of time, and 25% do it with heavy liquors. Research shows that pre-drinking leads to heavier drinking and an increased risk of addiction. Which is why the Belgian City Council of Balen tried something unprecedented to combat pre-drinking: Sobercoins. An encouragement for young people to arrive at the party sober by rewarding them with... a free drink. Organized by the City Council, every weekend, young people can get breathalyzed at the entrance doors of the clubs. When negative, they are rewarded with a Sobercoin, a token for 3 complimentary drinks by the venue. A behavioral incentive that might feel contradictory at first, but research has proven that if young people don’t pre-drink, eventually they end up drinking way less alcohol and way more spread over time. The Sobercoins initiative is not against drinking alcohol. It rather is a stimulant for a more responsible drinking behavior and a way of opening up the debate about pre-drinking. National and international press covered the Sobercoins initiative and opened the debate about pre-drinking. Club owners, academics, politicians, and even the national Minister of welfare, everybody participated, including young people, discussing their pre-drinking behavior. Equally important, the City of Balen, noticed a blatant decrease in previously reported problems: less vandalism, less fights, etc. The Sobercoin scheme will now also be introduced in other cities in Belgium and will even be tried out at a student campus in Arkansas, USA.