“I Made a Mess of Myself”

Of all the drugs covered in The Drug Report none is as potentially lethal as alcohol.  Long-term it can kill by attacking the liver; short-term it can cause comas and death.

And then there’s the tried and true way alcohol kills — the drunk driving crash.  Here’s a story that’s poignant and all too comment, from The State (Columbia SC):

The Pelion High School auditorium was still as Brandon Silveria described how his life changed after he fell asleep at the wheel and crashed his car into a tree in 1987 after drinking with friends.

He was in a coma for several months and then had to relearn how to swallow, walk, talk and think. He has permanent brain damage that causes violent seizures and memory problems.

“I made a mess out of myself by making a stupid choice,” he said. …

Halfway through the presentation, they showed a video featuring pictures of Brandon Silveria from before the accident and his recovery.

Silveria was a senior in high school at the time and had just learned he would receive a full athletics scholarship to Boston College, Tony Silveria said. He was popular, dated a beautiful girl, played football and enjoyed surfing with his friends.

Tony Silveria encouraged the teens to consider not only how their choices would affect their lives, but how they would change their families’ lives.

To date, Brandon Silveria’s medical bills total at least $3 million, his father said.

Brandon and his dad now tour the country talking to high school kids?  They listen to his brain-injured voice, described as sounding like a tape recording on slow and think, “What if it were me?”

Scare tactics?  No, I’d call it reality tactics.