It's not easy to get a 14-year-old to consider being more careful at parties.
But that's the effect a program on teen drinking and driving had on Derek Staub, a freshman at Centennial High School.
"It did kind of influence me to be more careful when I'm older," Derek said.
He was among about 100 students and parents who gathered in the Centennial High auditorium Wednesday night for "Branded 'D.U.I' - Consequences for Teens Who Drink and Drive," a program from the nonprofit HC DrugFree.
The program included a film that told the stories of 11 young Maryland drivers who had been charged with driving under the influence, including a former Wilde Lake High student. Howard County District Judge Pamila J. Brown spoke about the court process for a teenager who is issued a drunken driving citation, and county police Officer Mark Heron explained what happens when a person gets pulled over after drinking and driving.
The 30-minute film, also titled Branded D.U.I., was created by the Maryland State Bar Association. It noted several statistics, including that someone dies in an alcohol-related collision every 31 minutes.
Brown explained that judges have different approaches when it comes to handling teenage cases.
"A lot of the drinking and driving offenses are young people," she said. "My tactic is that it's serious business."
She said many teenagers don't understand that a small amount of alcohol will impair a young person - one reason that the legal drinking age is 21.
"There's a medical reason ... your brain isn't fully developed," Brown said.
Brown also explained that if a driver is on a provisional license and gets a DUI, his or her driver's license is automatically suspended. For a second offense, the license is revoked for four to seven years.
The judge also talked about the difference between a driving while impaired charge, which entails a blood-alcohol content of .07 percent or less, and driving under the influence, which is the more serious offense. In Maryland, a person is considered legally intoxicated with a blood-alcohol level of .08 percent or higher.
Heron, an alcohol enforcement officer, described the signs he looks for when he stops motorists for drunken driving, including weaving through traffic, tailgating and driving under or over the speed limit.
He also explained the field sobriety tests, which include walking and turning, standing on one leg, and a preliminary breath test.
Drivers taken to the police station are asked to take another breath test, Heron said. If they decline, the Motor Vehicle Administration can suspend their licenses for 120 days.
The program is one of a series that HC DrugFree presents at schools around the county on various teen-related topics, including stress and depression.
Christie Fuhrer attended the program on the recommendation of her daughter, a freshman at Centennial.
Fuhrer's daughter, Molly, said she, too, learned a lot from the program. She was impressed that the presenters were aware of certain teenage behaviors, such as how young people acquire alcohol.
"Everything that they were saying was true," the 14-year-old said.
tyeesha.dixon@baltsun.com