Exclusive: Dr. Lisa Paz and Lizzy Miller Cole Created The Safe Pak, a Fisrt-of-Its-Kind Preparedness Kit, to 'Save Lives'

Lizzy Miller Cole and Dr. Lisa Paz, Co-Founders of The Safe Pak created their product, a first-of-its-kind preparedness kit designed to assist in and address challenges associated with s-- and drugs before a crisis occurs, to keep people safe.

"There’s a huge gap between what parents hope their kids will face and what they actually face. College students and young adults are navigating s--, drugs and social pressures. Pretending otherwise doesn’t prevent it or protect them. We wanted to create something that acknowledges reality without endorsing behavior — a true first-aid kit for s-- and drugs. This isn’t permission. It’s protection," the duo exclusively tells Morning Honey.

Cole, whose advocacy work and personal parenting journey revealed a critical gap in available safety resources, and Dr. Paz, who brings clinical authority and lived experience to the project, started to come up with the idea through several conversations.

"We both have very realistic and open narratives with our children. We both really share the same ethic of keeping it real with our kids in an effort to keep them safe and informed. We realize this isn't the case for everyone. We realized that there is a way to bridge the gap. We sent them to camp, to college, to study abroad with everything BUT the things that may actually save their lives," they share.

Since this product is "missing" from the market, the ladies thought The Safe Pak would certainly come in handy in many different scenarios.

"First, parents are afraid that providing tools looks like endorsing risky behavior — so instead they stay silent. Unfortunately, silence leaves kids ill-equipped when real situations arise. Sometimes parents are more afraid of being seen as permissive than being seen as realists. Second, while each of these items exists individually, no one had put them together with intentionality and called it what it is: a first-aid kit for s-- and drugs. It was hiding in plain sight," they state.

"We hope it reduces harm, panic and shame in moments that matter. Whether it’s preventing an accidental overdose, protecting against sexual assault, or helping someone make a safer decision under pressure, this kit gives young adults solutions and options. Sometimes it’s about preventing something serious. Other times it’s about avoiding panic and finding a solution. Either way, preparation changes outcomes," they continue, adding that each item was "chosen intentionally."

"Narcan, fentanyl test strips, condoms, Plan B (where legal), drink-spiking detection tools, and drink covers all address the most common, preventable risks this young adult population encounters. We combined clinical data, public-health trends and real-world parenting experience to decide what actually belongs in a modern safety kit," they explain.

For the pair, it's been a dream to work together.

"We really do complement each other. There’s a lot of trust, honesty, and shared values, which makes collaboration feel energizing instead of draining. We genuinely like each other and we trust each others' visions and we check our egos at the door so that we can really show up as a unified partnership," they gush.

They add: "We are both rapid decision makers, and we know what we like. This has made the process very easy. Lizzy is very tactile and face-to-face. She is sensory and social and likes to really get her hands on the items and make eye contact with everyone involved in the process, from suppliers to clients. Dr. Lisa enjoys digging into the details and the data and connecting with the parents! We are both people's people, so we are definitely more similar than different in our styles."

Since they have spent years around parents, teens, school and communities, they've "seen what people worry about, what they avoid talking about, and what they wish they’d done sooner. Safe Pak grew out of that lived awareness."

"The Safe Pak doesn’t assume our kids will make perfect choices. It assumes they’re human, it assumes that life happens (and not always in the best of terms). By having tools nearby, people can respond faster, make safer decisions and step in when something feels off," they continue.

Ultimately, the duo wants to keep people safe.

"We hope the Safe Pak saves young adults from precarious situations. Great kids make bad choices. Beautiful, smart young adults findthemselves in precarious circumstances. The Safe Pak is their protection against the things we don't plan for. Young women are often told to 'be careful' without being given anything concrete. This gives them tools — not fear. It says, your safety is worth planning for. We hope you don't need to use anything in here — but it's here in case you do," they share. "Empowerment is knowing what to do instead of freezing. It’s having options. It’s feeling like someone thought ahead for you. That’s what we hope Safe Pak provides."

They conclude, "This isn’t about fear or control. It’s about care. You can love your kids, have values, and still prepare them for the world as it is — not just how we wish it were. If you fail to plan, you plan to fail — and when we are talking about our children, we are talking about really high stakes. We want to make sure everyone is grounded in the reality of safety."