Zach Didier, a senior at Whitney High School in Rocklin, was a straight-A student, athlete, star of his school musical and Eagle Scout. Two nights after Christmas 2020, he took what he thought was a Percoset that he bought through Snapchat, an out-of-character move for a student with no history of drug use.

The pill contained the opioid fentanyl, and by the time Zach’s father found him the next morning, the 17-year-old was dead.

Now Zach’s parents are among those pushing for legislation requiring drug education and naloxone in California’s public schools, in order to stem the soaring number of young people dying of fentanyl overdoses.

In 2021, more than 800 Californians under age 25 died of fentanyl poisoning – an 18-fold increase from five years ago. Fentanyl accounted for 1 in 5 deaths of California young people ages 15-24 in 2021. Click here to read more: https://edsource.org/2023/as-fentanyl-deaths-climb-bill-would-require-drug-education-in-schools/689323