Stearns County Sheriff’s Office Display Helps Parents Curb Teen Drug Use

(KNSI) – Stearns County parents will learn how to spot drug use in their teens thanks to the help of an interactive exhibit put on by the sheriff’s office.

The ‘Hidden in Plain Sight’ display comes on the back of a truck and recreates a typical teenage room. Parents can walk through it and consult plaques and an explanation book that points out items typically associated with drug use.

Sheriff Steve Soyka says, “The hope is to help parents prevent first, and secondly, intervene early if needed before it is too late, and they suffer from an overdose. Central Minnesota has seen an increase in overdose cases and deaths in the past few years. The idea of the mobile display is to help stop and prevent this before a teenager becomes a statistic.”

The display will be available at city festivals and other community events throughout Stearns County this summer. The sheriff’s office will also deploy it to the county fair. Look for it at parent-teacher conferences throughout local school districts once fall rolls around.

The ‘Hidden in Plain Sight’ exhibit was donated to the sheriff’s office by the Justin Pearson Foundation and Pleasureland RV. The foundation sponsors NARCAN purchases for area law enforcement, as well. Pearson died from an overdose several years ago.

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