Brandon Silveria has made educating today's high school students on the dangers of drinking and driving his lifetime goal. Unfortunately, his previous goals, which included playing football and attending Boston College on a rowing scholarship, were destroyed at the age of 17 when the California native drank at a party and got behind the wheel.

"I had a few beers and decided to drive," Silveria, now 30, told Hicksville High School juniors and seniors during a special assembly on Friday, March 14. "I did not realize how tired I was. My car veered off the road and smashed into a tree" before being struck by a car traveling on the road. He was alone in the car at the time of the accident.

During the assembly, students sat in the high school auditorium and listened as Silveria told his story. They also watched as a re-enactment of Silveria's accident and actual scenes of his recovery played on the screen before them

Silveria, who was wearing his seatbelt, suffered massive head trauma from the accident. He spent two and a half months after the accident in a coma "hooked up to every machine you could think of." Because his memory was impaired, Silveria had to relearn basic motor functions such as how to walk, talk, swallow and think. It took two years for him to progress far enough to return home.

The accident left Silveria with a permanent brain injury. He suffers from dangerous seizures, does not walk perfectly and is extremely self-conscious about his slurred speech. "I fight daily to keep my life on track," said Silveria. "My hope is that by sharing my experiences with other young people, I can prevent others from being hurt or killed."

Today, Silveria, and his father, Tony, are working to do just that. Together, they are spokespersons for the Century Council, a national not-for-profit organization dedicated to fighting drunk driving and underage drinking, working to help combat teen drinking through student presentations. Over the years, they have addressed over one million high school students nationwide with their lecture and video program and have been featured on such television programs as Rescue 911, NBC's Today and the Discovery Channel's Health Watch.

In speaking with students, Silveria warns against becoming victims of peer pressure. "Do you realize it is the biggest influence on the decisions you make for yourself?" Silveria asked. "The decisions I made changed the course of my life. Before the accident, I had the world at my fingertips. Now, it is changed forever and I've learned the hard way. Take one last look at me and ask yourself 'is it worth a couple of beers?'"

According to Tony Silveria, presentations such as last Friday's in Hicksville are essential for two reasons. Number one, "Brandon needs to do this as a kid who has been there. Students can relate to him," he said, "Number two, it helps students recognize what [drinking and driving] does to families, the emotional and financial impact." Medical expenses following the accident cost the Silveria family in excess of $2 million.

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), New York had 85 alcohol-related fatalities among youths under the age of 21 in 2002, a 16 percent increase from 2000.

Assemblywoman Donna Ferrara (R, C - 15th A.D.), joined the Century Council in presenting Silveria's story. A long-time participant with the Century Council, Ferrara said, "I'm so happy that the Century Council and the Silverias were able to present their program at Hicksville High School and hope that their life-saving message will be heard loud and clear by Hicksville teens. Underage drinking and driving can be disastrous, leaving one with the pain and suffering caused from injury, trauma and guilt. Many young lives are needlessly lost. Thanks to the Century Council and people like Brandon Silveria, our teens realize they're not invincible and that accidents don't just happen to other people. The chilling reality is it can happen to you."

Maureen Bright, superintendent of Hicksville Schools, said she was much appreciative of Assemblywoman Ferrara and the Century Council for bringing such an important message to students of Hicksville. "We teach every day at all grade levels how to make good choices, but programs such as this in which a young man shares his personal experiences makes the consequences much more meaningful and real," said Bright.

On behalf of those present at the assembly, Student Government President Liliana Cabrera thanked the Silverias for sharing their story with Hicksville students saying, "You have showed us the true consequences of drinking and driving. We admire your strength. You have showed we are not invincible and that it only takes one moment in time to change our lives."

Although she considers herself "one of the lucky ones" in that she does not personally know anyone who has been involved in a drinking and driving accident, senior Danielle Heller was emotionally affected by Silveria's story. "It is heart wrenching ... so emotional," she said.

"This is real life," said Deanna Monti, a senior and president of Students Against Drunk Driving (S.A.D.D.). "Seeing it up close, what really happens gets to you. It's different than just hearing about it."

Junior S.A.D.D. member Joicey Raju agreed, saying, "We've only heard of it. You can talk about it all the time, but when you are faced with it, it makes all the difference."

Gunita Suri and Ranjana Bakshi, also junior S.A.D.D. members, echoed their friend, saying, "Seeing, firsthand, impacts everyone. One mistake can change your whole life ... All your dreams can be lost."

For Silveria, that is exactly what happened. "My life before, I had a job, a car, a girlfriend..." he said. "The bummer of all this is that I created this mess for myself [by] making stupid choices ...[I thought] I was cool enough to drive - after all, I was invincible, nothing was going to happen to me. Wrong! ... Miraculously, I lived to tell my story."

Launched in May 1991, the Century Council is funded by America's leading distillers and promotes responsible decision-making regarding alcohol, focusing on drunk driving and underage drinking. In the last 10 years, the Century Council's funding companies have invested more than $120 million for programs that fight against the misuse of alcohol.

The council, which operates on the philosophy that collective action can have a greater impact than individual efforts, involves all sectors of the community, including beverage alcohol wholesalers and retailers, law enforcement, public officials, educators, insurers, health care professionals and private citizen organizations in the fight against drunk driving and underage drinking. The council concentrates its efforts in the following areas:

* Educating middle school through college students, their parents, teachers and adult caregivers about the importance of making responsible decisions regarding beverage alcohol;

* Informing the public about state laws for blood alcohol concentration (BAC) and how gender, weight and the type and number of drinks affect an individual's BAC;

* Deterring minors from buying beverage alcohol through joint programs with law enforcement and retailers using point of sale materials and public awareness campaigns; and

* Reducing drunk driving through research and promising strategies, promoting tougher state and federal legislation, treatment and education.

Headquartered in Washington, DC, the Century Council is chaired by the Honorable Susan Molinari. An independent advisory board comprised of distinguished leaders in business, government, education, medicine and other relevant disciplines assists the council in development of programs and policies.

For more information on the Century Council, visit www.centurycouncil.org. To request a free copy of Brandon Tells His Story or for information on the Silveria program, call 800-431-4499.