Prince George's County Board of Health Briefing on Tobacco and Alcohol Retailers' Community Health Effects - September 22, 2026

The Prince George's County Council, sitting as the Board of Health, convened on September 22, 2026, at 10:00 AM for a briefing on the community health effects of tobacco and alcohol retailers. The session began without a quorum but proceeded as a briefing until a quorum was established; seven members were present. The meeting featured presentations from staff and the Prince George's County Health Department on retailer distribution, health impacts, and associated costs, followed by questions and discussion among councilmembers.

Presentation on Retailer Distribution

• Anya Makarova, Committee Director, presented data on tobacco and alcohol retailer density by councilmatic district.
• There are 932 active tobacco licenses in the county, averaging 9.5 per 10,000 residents, but distribution is uneven: District 7 has the highest density (16.6 per 10,000), nearly double the county average, while District 4 has the lowest (6 per 10,000). Approximately 86% of licensed tobacco locations are general retailers.
• For alcohol, there are 142 active Class A licenses (liquor stores), averaging 1.4 per 10,000 residents. District 7 again has the highest density, District 4 the lowest.
• Councilmember Fisher requested additional analysis by per-square-mile density to better reflect saturation, noting that geographic size varies by district. Ms. Makarova acknowledged the complexity due to urban, suburban, and rural areas and suggested the Health Atlas tool could provide a more comprehensive view.
• Ms. Makarova highlighted two existing decision-making tools: the Health Atlas (a countywide evidence-based tool integrating health, land use, and demographic data, soft-launched August 26, 2026) and health impact assessments in the zoning process. She noted that retail density findings could feed into future health assessments to inform land-use decisions.

Presentation on Health Impacts of Tobacco and Alcohol

• Dr. Toin Okwesomi (Dr. O), Health Officer, and Dr. Andrew Ballard, Chief of Public Health Policy and Innovation, presented county-level statistics and documented harms.
• Tobacco: About 8% of Prince Georgians smoke regularly, down from 14% a decade ago, but the decline has flattened since 2022. Smoking rates vary widely by community (6.7% in Woodmore vs. 17.7% in Langley Park), with highest rates inside the Beltway where retailer density is also highest. Youth cigarette use has collapsed to 2.1%, but youth vaping remains elevated (14.3% in Maryland high schools). Adult vaping is rising slowly. Nationally, tobacco causes >480,000 deaths and >$600 billion in annual costs, with >60% of healthcare spending paid by government programs. Smokers die on average 10 years earlier. Quitting by age 30 eliminates nearly all excess risk.
• Alcohol: Excessive alcohol use causes ~178,000 deaths and $249 billion in annual costs nationally, with government paying nearly $100 billion. Alcohol is causally linked to at least seven types of cancer, including breast cancer (60% of alcohol-related cancer deaths among women). In 2023, ~28.9 million people met criteria for past-year alcohol use disorder. Alcohol-related costs include $38 billion for criminal justice and motor vehicle crashes. In Prince George's County, 70% of arrests involve some form of intoxication.
• Dr. Ballard noted that tobacco and alcohol burdens disproportionately affect low-income communities and communities of color.

Discussion Items

• Councilmember Sheila Adam Stafford requested data on treatment facility locations by district, cross-referenced with alcohol-related crime data, to better understand the impact of liquor store saturation on quality of life. She also asked about existing programs and gaps.
• Councilmember Fisher emphasized the need to map resources intentionally to areas of highest need (e.g., Districts 7 and 8) rather than current patterns where resources may concentrate in northern parts of the county.
• Caitlin Murphy (Associate Director, Health and Wellness) described current tobacco programs: a state-funded grant focused on preventing sales to minors through undercover compliance checks, and a small cessation outreach program. She noted limited funding and the need for community-based cessation services.
• Dr. Alex Budenz (former program manager) added that there is a huge unmet need for smoking cessation services in the county, with few trained community organizations. She mentioned federal programs like the "Real Cost" campaign and smokefree.gov.
• Councilmember Stafford inquired about school-based programs, especially for vaping and energy drinks with synthetic opioids (e.g., 7OH). Staff confirmed partnerships with schools, use of youth decoys for peer education, and ongoing work on safe storage and interactive programming. They noted recent state legislation (HB 1523) limiting 7OH concentration and requiring age restrictions, but enforcement funding remains a challenge.
• Councilmember Fisher raised the upcoming ballot question that would allow the county to charge fees on certain industries (e.g., tobacco, alcohol) to fund health mitigation, similar to traffic or school fees. She expressed hope that dedicated resources could support health department programs.

Key Outcomes

• The Board requested follow-up data and analysis, including:
  • Retailer density per square mile by councilmatic district (per Councilmember Fisher's request).
  • Mapping of treatment facilities and cross-walking with alcohol-related crime data by district (per Councilmember Stafford).
  • An overview of potential programming options and associated costs to address gaps in funding and resources (per Chair Orieta).
• No formal votes were taken; the meeting concluded with a motion to adjourn, seconded, and passed by voice vote.
• Chair Orieta noted the council placed a ballot question on health impact fees, which if passed, could create a dedicated resource fund for health mitigation related to tobacco and alcohol retailers.