PERRYSBURG – In the year since their teenage son died in a drunk driving crash, Drs. Brian and Cindy
Hoeflinger have done anything but try to move on.
Over and over, they’ve rehashed the pain that started Feb. 2, 2013, when their son Brian, 18, made some
poor choices. By all accounts an enthusiastic person with a good head on his shoulders, the Hoeflingers
insist their son didn’t make those kinds of bad mistakes, and when he did, he learned from it.
But he didn’t get a second chance.
The Ottawa Hills couple has been busy since tragedy struck, making rounds at area schools and with the
elder Brian writing a book, "The Night He Died: The Harsh Reality of Teenage Drinking."
Cindy and Brian emphasized the real-life impact of binge drinking and teen alcohol use to Perrysburg
students and their families Tuesday. They shared memories of their son, followed by an emotional
slideshow with photos of happy times as well as the roadside scene where Brian died after his car struck
a tree.
"I think that gives you an idea that there’s a person behind the statistics," Brian said after
the photo presentation. He went on to outline just how socially acceptable and commonplace alcohol and
drug use have become to teens.
He reported that 72 percent of students have tried alcohol by the end of high school, and 37 percent by
eighth grade. He said binge drinking, consuming many drinks in a short period of time, is a staggering
problem, with more than 30 percent of seniors reporting at least one binge-drinking session in the last
two weeks.
Brian emphasized that making the right decision isn’t easy, and he wasn’t above such behavior when he was
young, either. After moving to a new school in ninth grade, his friends drank and used drugs, so he did
too. He said his friends turned their backs when he decided he wanted out. It wasn’t easy, but he made
new friends.
Cindy told students that "every decision can make or break you." She encouraged them to be
allies for each other, and not to forget they influence younger students, most of whom now grow up
wondering not whether they’ll drink, but when they will start.
While introducing the Hoeflingers, Superintendent Tom Hosler shared his own experience with the 1995
death of a student, one he mentored while coaching and serving as a teacher and assistant principal at
St. John’s Jesuit in Toledo.
"Today I struggle to even talk about it, still," Hosler said. "I never coached high school
sports again."
A promising runner who was being recruited by top colleges, that student died after being injured in an
alcohol-fueled fight at a hockey game. After being sent home from the hospital, he was found dead
one-half mile from his home, wearing sweatpants and a T-shirt.
"We will never know what happened, but I do know that this chain reaction all began with his
decision to use alcohol," Hosler said.
"Parents, community members, schools, legislators, churches, coaches, police, and students must act
in concert. No one entity by itself has the ability to overcome this problem. It’s not a school problem.
It’s a community problem."
For more information on the Hoeflingers’ efforts, visit www.BrianMatters.com.