Community Corner

Tips Line for Underage Drinking Not Just For Kids

The new Tips Line lets people anonymously report underage drinking and the adults who provide the booze.

Parents who give their kids and their kids’ friends alcohol may think they’re making the safest choice.

“Sure, they take away the keys,” said Carol Mullen, at the Carroll County Coalition Against Underage Drinking.

“But that’s the least of the problems. We’re talking sexual assault, personal injury, property damage, plus, alcohol poisoning. The whole 9 yards.”

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To make it easier for people to report underage drinking, Mullen - with the Carroll County State’s Attorney’s Office and the Parents Who Host campaign – has revived the Underage Drinking Tips Line, an anonymous way to alert the authorities. 

The Tips Line isn’t a new concept. In fact, Mullen said, the State’s Attorney’s Office had one, too, but it wasn’t well-known. Now, thanks to a grant from the Maryland Strategic Prevention Framework, it's been revived, complete with flyers, wallet-cards and the option to call, text or email.

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The Tips Line was turned on June 1. Since then, Mullen said, there have been three calls. Though none of them resulted in citations, Mullen said she was pleased. “Really what we want people to know is that if somebody calls, somebody’s going to come out.” 

It works like this: if your kids have been talking about that one friend with the “cool” parents who gives their kids booze, you can call, email or text the Tips Line (info at the bottom of this article and on the attached flyer).

The tip goes to the State’s Attorney’s Office and from there, it’s forwarded to the appropriate police jurisdiction. The police take it from there, and the process is completely anonymous, Mullen said. “They will never contact the tipster.”

Although she was pleased with the amount of calls in the past month, Mullen expects things to pick up.

“It’s in its infancy,” she said. “It’s a work in progress. We really want people to know, underage drinking will not be tolerated in Carroll County and police will respond. This is just a start.”

Carroll County Underage Drinking Tips Line:

Call or text: 443-547-1509

Email: tipsline.ccsao@ccg.carr.org


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