Hello everyone,
Evelyn here,
Below is an exert from the AG's Newsletters. From time to time I will post exerts Attorney General's newsletter when they fit the guidelines of this blog. This particular article relate the story of Brandon Silveria and hazards of teens drinking and driving.
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A Message from Attorney General Charlie Crist
All across Florida this month, high school and college students are
enjoying the annual ritual of Spring Break. The week-long hiatus in
the middle of a semester presents teens and young adults with many
opportunities, and many choices.
Unfortunately, some of those choices - the wrong kind of choices - can
have a lifetime of consequences.
Earlier this week I was in Jacksonville, where I joined several
hundred high school students to hear from a young man who knows
first-hand the devastating effects that can linger long after a single
bad choice.
His name is Brandon Silveria, and he was a typical teenager living a
good life with his father, Tony, in Los Gatos, California. Brandon was
a football player, active on his high school rowing team, and had a
girlfriend, a job and a promising future.
All that changed one fateful night, when he chose to drive home after
having a couple of beers at a party. That poor choice nearly cost
Brandon his life and forced him to endure years of difficult
rehabilitation, and he will never be the same.
Showing a resilience and determination far beyond his years, Brandon
has turned his personal tragedy into a campaign to prevent other young
drivers from repeating his life-altering mistake. Brandon and Tony
Silveria now travel the country spreading a message focusing on proper
choices, resisting peer pressure and coping personal tragedy. They
have spoken to almost 3 million students across the nation.
Through the efforts of the Century Council, Brandon and Tony were able
to share their message with students at Episcopal High School in
Jacksonville. If even one student in the audience takes this message
to heart, who can measure the value of the life that might be saved?
Sadly - but not surprisingly - young drivers are the ones most likely
to be involved in crashes . . . especially if alcohol is involved. In
2004 (the last year for which statistics are available), more than
16,000 drinking drivers were involved in crashes in Florida, with 771
of them including fatalities. Although drivers between the ages of 15
and 24 make up just 13 percent of all licensed drivers in Florida,
they represent 29 percent of drinking drivers involved in fatal
crashes.
The message is clear: Young drivers are far more likely to make bad
choices, especially when it comes to mixing alcohol and driving. With
Spring Break still going on in some school districts and the prom
season just around the corner, it is vitally important for teens and
young adults to be encouraged, persuaded or warned into making the
best decisions possible.
Their lives, literally, may depend on it.
Charlie Crist
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Evelyn out.
