'One Pill At A Time': Placer County Couple Who Lost Teen Son Helps Launch Campaign Against Fentanyl-Related Deaths
PLACER COUNTY (CBS13) — A couple's crusade continues after losing their 17-year-old son to fentanyl poisoning.
In February, Placer County became the first county in the region to file murder charges in a fentanyl-related death. Now, they're unveiling a massive campaign with the help of one family who became all too familiar with the deadly drug.
There is a gutwrenching plea from Laura and Chris Didier who lost their son, Zach, to fentanyl poisoning two years ago.
"It hit us like a Mack Truck going 100 miles per hour and we never saw it coming," Chris said.
The couple spoke at Whitney High School to help launch the "One Pill Can Kill" campaign in the county. The public health program helps educate parents and teens on the dangers of buying and using black market prescription pills.
"Had we known about these dangers, we would have had different conversations with Zach and he would probably still be here today," Laura said.
She said her son thought he was buying Percocet from someone on Snapchat, but the pill was laced with a lethal dose of fentanyl—a drug 100 times more powerful than morphine.
Zach's death is part of a growing and troubling trend the Department of Justice talked about last year.
Since losing their son, the couple has made it their mission to prevent tragedies like Zach's from touching another family.
"I just want parents [and] families to have the information to have the conversations we wish we would have with Zach," Laura said.
The district attorney's office is also aggressively pursuing statewide legislation to raise the penalties for fentanyl-related crimes.
