But this simple-looking bag is actually a new tool meant to help combat prescription drug abuse in Webster County and across Iowa.

Ben Rasmussen, a prevention specialist with Community and Family Resources, and a member of the regional opioid task force, said these bags actually help break down unused prescription medication.

The bags have a charcoal implement in them that Rasmussen said can help “deactivate” these drugs, preventing them from being used by those who want to abuse them.

He explained how the bags work.

After the perforated top is torn open, the unused medications are put inside.

Rasmussen said the bags can fit up to 45 pills, 6 ounces of liquid or six patches.

“You put those in there and then you fill the pouch halfway with warm water, and you wait 30 seconds,” Rasmussen said. “And then you seal it up, you gently shake that pouch, and then you can throw it away. That’s really all that it takes.”

The process turns the unused medications into a gel-like substance, and Rasmussen said “they can’t be used at all afterwards.”

The bags were obtained through AmerisourceBergen, a health care supply company that works to prevent opioid abuse by transporting drug-fighting medications and tools to health providers.

Rasmussen said Fort Dodge Police Chief Roger Porter helped write a grant that allowed them to purchase the bags.

Right now, there are 2,000 bags that will be utilized in CFR’s coverage area, which includes Boone, Calhoun, Hamilton, Humboldt, Pocahontas, Story, Webster and Wright counties, and also offers prevention programs in Franklin and Hardin counties.

There are about 330 in Webster County.

Although the bags are still new and the effectiveness of them can’t be rated, Rasmussen said CFR has been slowly implementing them over the past month.

“Hopefully, they are effective, because it’s cutting down on the amount of time those medications are in the home,” he said.

The bags are used in addition to already-available resources, such as the Drug Take Back events that are held twice a year. Those provide an opportunity for people to anonymously turn in their unused medications.

Rasmussen said the bags can be used as a year-round take back, and they’re helpful “if you don’t want to wait for a take back day, but you have stuff you need to get rid of, but you can’t make it to a pharmacy or whatever.”

The goal right now is to give the bags to health care providers, such as hospitals, doctors, and possibly even dentists.

Rasmussen said he just dropped off 100 bags at Stewart Memorial Community Hospital in Lake City.

And if anybody wants any bags, Rasmussen said they’re welcome to contact him at 515-832-5432.

“We’re working to try and get them in different locations where people will run into them,” he said.

It’s important to get rid of unused prescriptions, because Rasmussen said the longer they remain in the home, the more likely they are to be abused.

“We provided them (the bags) at the national take back day at Hy-Vee here in Fort Dodge,” Rasmussen said. “We also did it in Webster City. We had an event in Clarion, as well, where they were distributed.”

“We’re trying to distribute them throughout the communities,” he said. “Get them dispersed throughout the public.”