The easiest solution is to use word boundaries: 
if (@events = grep /\b$event\b/, @{ $region_of_state{$region_of_state}
+}) {

[download]
Given your approach, you might also want to add quotemeta support: 
if (@events = grep /\b\Q$event\E\b/, @{ $region_of_state{$region_of_st
+ate}}) {

[download]

#11929 First ask yourself `How would I do this without a computer?' Then have the computer do it the same way.

In reply to Re: matching whole words only by kennethk
in thread matching whole words only by dirtdog

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