FAIRMONT — What may look like a sweet treat, may be dangerous for consumption. Empower, Martin County’s Substance Abuse Prevention youth coalition, has for years encouraged children and adolescents across the county to act responsibly, along with being substance-free and alcohol-free. Presently, Empower is cultivating a significant message to families in Martin County by asking them to get into the routine of locking up their prescription drugs so it doesn’t reach the mouths of oblivious relatives or pets looking for a snack.

According to Empower and a 2022 Minnesota Student Survey, the most commonly abused prescription drugs include opioids, sedatives and stimulants. Many of these overdoses are unintentional and driven solely by curiosity, and the negligence of those owning the easy-access substances. Additionally, many children nationwide, especially in high school, fall victim to drug and substance abuse due to peer pressure from trusted companions. Empower reported that more than 90 percent of students of Martin County do not consume prescription substances or alcoholic beverages, however, the ones that do often resort to drug use as a means of a coping mechanism or to sway intrusive, destructive or suicidal intentions.

As stated by the SAMHSA (Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Association) 2021 national survey study on drug use and health, 44.9 percent of those abusing and misusing drugs, aged 12 and older, received the substances from close family, friends and other affiliates.

The anti-substance coalition for students began its first ‘Lock it Up’ campaign in an effort to put an end to accidental overdose and death by easy access to prescription drugs and substances. The leading group of victims of accidental overdose include children ages two to three, and household pets. Shelly Larson, MCSAP’s Project Cordinator, describes that children often mistake prescription drugs for candies with their appearance a close resemblance to popular foods in youth.

At the Martin County Fair, Empower staff issued potential solutions to this national, deadly phenomenon–lock bags to the community. Empower staff reported that no specific feedback was directly received, but the entire first supply of the medical lock bags ran out of stock on the first day of handouts, according to Larson. As a solution to the persistent demand and want for a bigger supply of lock bags, Empower sent lock bags in the mail to those who signed up.

“It won’t prevent all accidents, but it will add a layer of protection,” Project Coordinator Desta Misegades remarked. “The fair has so many people, so it was building awareness and a great educational experience.”

Larson hopes that with the help of the locked bags, the statistic number of accidental overdoses made by domestic pets and children–not just in Minnesota, but nationwide, will go down.

“[The lock bags] are supposed to help combat overdose,” she said.

According to the CDC’s (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) study on opioid overdose prevention, there was a two percent national increase in accidental overdose between May 2023 and May 2024. However, within the state of Minnesota itself, there was a significant drop in accidental overdoses by 19 percent, within that one year.

The lock bags in question have a rather simple anatomy, however expertly prevent the intrusion and overdosing from curious relatives. The bag allows the owner to store their prescription and medication with adequate assurance that themselves are their family are safe with its key-lock or key code.

As a more in-depth and hands-on learning experience for children, Empower provided a booth that invited children to wear goggles simulating opioid impairment. While wearing the goggles, participants were tasked to complete a puzzle accurately with the obscuring goggles. Similarly, Empower invites Fairmont High School health class students to take identical activity courses during the school day in the gymnasium. By remarking on their poor results with the impairment goggles, the coalition aims to encourage students and children to remain away from alcohol and other dangerous substances.

Empower has tried to increase its outreach to families at risk by declaring its message through articles, chamber newsletters, billboards, posters, student recruitment and word of mouth. Empower will be planning with Sterling Drug and Pharmacy to help with the distribution of the lock bags. With the generosity of their most recent grant, Empower will further implement a suicide prevention branch into their program. Along with the help of local law enforcement and trained staff, students curious about drug prevention can learn first-hand from professionals.

Megan Wheeler, an Empower member and Fairmont High School student, shared that the club allowed her to have a change in perspective, and it made her ponder about the people in her school who knew of the severity of substance abuse.

“You have to act with compassion because you never know what’s happening,” Larson said, noting that she hopes to further combat the stigmatization of children previously affected by substance misuse and overdose.

Empower is a group that welcomes new student members to support its campaign and share the words of its mission. As long the said student pledges to be substance-free and completes an application, they are recognized as an official club member. While Empower mainly focuses on adolescent health and sobriety, many volunteering opportunities are available for families and adults to be involved. Empower meets on the second Thursday of each month in the SMEC building, these meetings are open to anyone and everyone.

“It’s a great leadership experience,” Misegades said. “You get to be a light in your school. Empower lets students have a voice, and it’s such a diverse group of students.”

Any type of prescription medication that is unused may be discarded into the Rx box at Fairmont HyVee Pharmacy or Martin County Law Enforcement Center’s lobby’s dropbox. Both these options will safely incinerate the provided medications. Wheeler emphasizes that prescription substances should never be flushed, enabling a risk of the substance entering the community’s water supply.