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Health officer outlines targeted ‘Health to Go’ vending program and rising youth cannabis ER visits
Summary
At a May 12 Board of Health Q&A, Dr. Toni Gedden said vending machines are sited in ZIP codes with highest overdoses and are monitored monthly; she also reported more teen cannabis-related ER visits since legalization and described school-health and prevention plans.
Dr. Toni Gedden, Anne Arundel County health officer, told the Board of Health on May 12 that the county’s “Health to Go” vending machines are sited based on overdose data and partner readiness and that staff review usage metrics monthly to match supplies to local demand.
“We initially placed machines in the six ZIP codes with the highest overdose counts, and partners such as libraries and Department of Social Services buildings are critical hosts,” Gedden said. She described an operational model that combines ZIP-code targeting with host-site willingness to support machine maintenance, reloads and public questions. Public feedback is also collected via QR codes on the machines.
Gedden said the machines’ one-time hardware cost is modest but ongoing replenishment of supplies — much of it funded by state grants and settlement dollars — is the main recurring expense. The county expects additional partner requests and is evaluating further placements.
Board members pressed Gedden about a reported cluster of mumps cases and youth cannabis-related hospital visits. Gedden said Maryland’s Department of Health had not released vaccination status for the 43 recent mumps cases; she cited outside studies showing two-dose vaccination is roughly 80–90% protective and reduces severity and hospitalization when infection occurs.
On cannabis, Gedden said the county’s data through March 2026 show an increase in visits among adolescents and young adults since legalization. Pediatric emergency clinicians who briefed the county reported presentations ranging from persistent vomiting to marked behavioral changes and, in some cases, slow heart rate. “Often the child does not disclose what they took, and parents bring them in for concerning lethargy or behavior,” Gedden said.
The health officer outlined prevention work that the department and partners are pursuing: peer-led school presentations, expanded curricula, campaigns for parents, lock-bag distribution and youth video contests that produce student-created messages on risks. Gedden said the department is coordinating with ACPS and statewide campaigns and that peer-to-peer messages — a high-school presenter speaking to middle-school students — have proven effective in pilot efforts.
The Board’s discussion also covered school-based health centers. Gedden said the county will pilot a student-first model with the health department acting as administrative sponsor and a separate clinical partner selected by RFP to provide primary care services, enabling continuity of care for students who may also need family primary-care connections.
The meeting adjourned after members thanked the health department for the update and asked health staff to supply follow-up details by email.
