One Pill Can Kill | Cal Guard partners with Placer County’s fentanyl awareness campaign to educate students on the dangers of drug use

VIDEO: California National Guard’s DDRO team partners with Placer County and Laura and Chris Didier, affected family members of California’s fentanyl crisis, to educate high school students on the dangers of fentanyl with the 1 Pill Can Kill campaign in Roseville, California, Aug. 31, 2022. One of the many missions of Cal Guard’s DDRO team is to teach young adults how to spot fake prescription pills and get support from family, friends, and mentors if they are suffering from anxiety or depression. (U.S. Air National Guard video by Tech. Sgt. Stefany Leyva)

Story and video by Tech. Sgt. Stefany Leyva
California National Guard Public Affairs

Sept. 7, 2022

ROSEVILLE, Calif. – "He had taken one pill and within minutes, he stopped breathing, his heart stopped and he was gone," announced Laura Didier, advocate in Placer County's One Pill Can Kill campaign, during an Aug. 31 school presentation in Roseville.

Laura and Chris Didier lost their 17-year-old son Zachary Didier to fentanyl poisoning and are traveling to schools statewide to share their story.

The California National Guard partnered with the Didiers and Placer County to help educate students on the dangers of fentanyl.

"So many people in our country are suffering from unwittingly consuming a poison that takes their life, whether it is a harmless prescription pill, or whatever recreational drug think is something that wouldn't kill them, but in fact is," stated Chris Didier.

"The goal is to go into as many schools as possible and discuss drug prevention and awareness with today's youth," said U.S. Army Staff Sgt. Angelo Dubuisson, a drug demand reduction specialist with Cal Guard. "We are trying to bring awareness to Placer County schools and school districts within Placer County to make sure they are aware of what's going on in the streets and that they are targets these days, so that they stay away from this poison."

"They're just dealing with a lot of things in their everyday lives, so we want to arm them with the correct tools to make healthy choices, to continue moving forward and letting them know that they have other choices than taking a pill or any other illicit substance that will harm them in the long run," said Sgt. Raquel Cansimbe, who also works as a drug demand reduction specialist with Cal Guard.