New underage drinking prevention campaign launches in Park City

Photo: Emmanuel Olguín

"Every Step Counts" debuts Thursday at The Market as Summit County youth alcohol use rates continue to outpace the state

SUMMIT COUNTY, Utah — Park City will serve as the launch site this week for a new underage drinking prevention effort that aims to place public health messages directly into the everyday routines of Summit County families. The campaign, called “Every Step Counts,” is a partnership among the statewide Parents Empowered initiative, the Summit County Health Department, and local businesses. The first installation is scheduled for Thursday at The Market at Park City.

Organizers say the effort is designed to meet parents where they already are — in grocery stores, businesses, and community gathering places — and prompt small, repeated conversations about alcohol and adolescent brain health. The public rollout is set for 10:30 a.m. Thursday, April 23, at The Market, 1500 Snow Creek Drive, where community members will walk across newly installed floor decals in a symbolic “first steps” event. Additional installations are planned at businesses and community hubs across Summit County over the next month, organizers said.

The launch comes as Summit County continues to report youth alcohol use rates above the state average. According to the 2025 SHARP survey data presented by Parents Empowered, 20% of Summit County students reported using alcohol in their lifetime, compared with a statewide average of 10.9%. Summit County also posted the highest 30-day alcohol use rate among Utah’s local substance abuse authority regions at 10.7%, compared with a state average of 3.8%.

Parents Empowered frames its work around the idea that prevention begins at home. The campaign says alcohol affects a young, still-developing brain differently than an adult brain and links underage drinking to impaired learning, memory, and judgment, as well as a higher risk of addiction. Campaign materials also emphasize that children are less likely to drink when parents set clear expectations and stay actively involved in their lives.

That message will shape the Summit County rollout. Rather than relying on traditional ads or school-based messaging alone, the campaign uses visual reminders in public spaces to encourage parents to talk early and often with their children about alcohol. Organizers say the goal is to make prevention visible, practical, and difficult to overlook in the course of ordinary family life.

Parents Empowered is Utah’s statewide underage drinking prevention campaign, overseen by the Utah Department of Alcoholic Beverage Services and funded by the Utah Legislature. Its stated goal is to help Utah children reach age 21 alcohol-free by giving parents and caregivers research-based tools to reduce the risk of underage drinking.