Campaign Aims to Reduce Youth Access to Alcohol & Prescription Medications

By Diane Lee, Public Information Officer, Garrett County Health Department

Store. Monitor. Secure. is not a program. It is a campaign sponsored by the Garrett County Health Department that calls on the community to act and prevent youth access to alcohol and prescription medications in the home by changing the physical environment. This campaign is designed to reach parents, grandparents, relatives of children and youth, and senior citizens.

The Partnership to End Addiction states, 90% of people with substance use disorder start using before the age of 18, half of them started before the age of 15, which is one reason this campaign is so important. According to the 2021 Maryland Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS) and voices of community members, taking these actions matter. Safeguarding medications and alcohol can save a life. The use of alcohol is widely accepted by most cultures in the U.S., and it is readily available in many homes. Most families do not safeguard medications or alcohol.

Data from the YRBS 2018-2021, reveals a 17% reduction of alcohol 30-day use among Garrett County high school students and 15% reduction in binge drinking rates. Ten-year data trends show that Garrett County alcohol use rates are always higher when compared with the state rates. According to Garrett County YRBS 2018-2021 data trends, prescription drug misuse (ever used) reveals Garrett County high school students have decreased use by 12%. Overall, ten-year trend data shows that Garrett County use rates are relatively equal to Maryland YRBS rates.

Over 1,000 Community Norms Surveys on Alcohol were collected in Garrett County during 2022-2023. Results of that survey showed:

• 75.6% of people believe it is “Easy” or “Somewhat Easy” for teens to gain access to alcohol.
• 63% of respondents felt a common source of alcohol for teens is underage youth taking alcohol from a parent’s home without permission or taking alcohol from someone else’s home.

To do your part: Properly STORE alcohol and medications in your home in a safe location to reduce youth access. MONITOR alcohol and/or medications in your home by frequently tracking and counting the amounts of each one. Lock and SECURE alcohol and/or medications in your home by keeping alcohol locked in cabinets, using combination locks on alcohol bottles, keeping medication in a locked box, and disposing of unused medication at a local medication drop box location.

Throughout the month of May, Store. Monitor. Secure. campaign banners will be placed around the community at youth sport fields and at the Ruth Enlow Library in Oakland. For more information visit www.addictionhappens.org and www.kNOwDRINKING.net. This information is provided by the Garrett County Health Department with funds from MDH and SAMHSA.

Cutline: The Store. Monitor. Secure. campaign purchased a booth at the Garrett County Health Fair in April, where staff spoke with youth and adults about the dangers of unprotected alcohol and prescription medications in the home. Pictured above is James Michaels, Garrett County Health Department Prevention Coordinator, interacting with a group of young health fair attendees.