Congressman David Trone Receives Update on Garrett County Successes

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

U.S. Congressman David Trone visited Garrett County on Thursday, April 14, and met with members of the Garrett County Drug-Free Communities Coalition (DFCC) and the Garrett County Health Department (GCHD) to hear about progress the coalition has made with funds from the Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act 3.0 (CARA), an act introduced and co-chaired by Congressman Trone. 

Garrett County will receive $50,000 per year for five years to reduce opioid, methamphetamine, and prescription drug use/misuse among youth. With these and other federal funds (including Rural Communities Opioid Response, Stop Underage Drinking and formerly Drug-Free Communities Support funds) staff and members of the coalition have achieved many successes: peer education groups at each secondary school, prescription drug disposal policy changes with several local organizations, 3 permanent medication disposal boxes in the county, community Narcan saturation, increased participation in the Prescription Drug Monitoring Program, assisted 27 organizations with policy change to restrict electronic smoking devices, and annual alcohol and tobacco vendor compliance of at least 90%. 

Pictured above from left to right are Kendra McLaughlin (Director of Health Education, Outreach, and Dental at GCHD), Congressman Trone, Bob Stephens (Health Officer), Lisa Thayer Welch (State’s Attorney and current chair of DFCC), and Lori Peck (GCHD Project Coordinator for the CARA grant). 

For more information about Strategies and Successes of DFCC and highlights of the CARA act, see the attached document.