Episode 16: Zach Didier, A ‘High Caliber Kid’ whose Life was Cut Short

NUSD is raising awareness of the current Fentanyl Epidemic by sharing Chris Didier’s story. Didier’s son, Zach, was a Placer County teenager who excelled in academics, music, sports; a well-rounded, responsible son. “Zach was a high caliber kid across the board,” Chris, Zach’s father said. 

In December 2020, the Didier’s lives changed forever, when Chris found his son in the teen’s room, appearing to be sleeping. “As I approached him to wake him up, I sensed a void I never felt before and I knew something was horribly wrong,” Chris recalled. 

Investigators would later learn that Zach may have purchased what he thought was Percocet from a drug dealer at a Roseville mall via Snapchat. The pill was synthetic and contained a lethal dose of Fentanyl. Chris has been raising awareness since Zach’s death and, although a sensitive topic, advises parents to talk with their students with empathy and understanding about the dangers of ingesting such pills. “This is not the time to experiment (with illicit Fentanyl). In the past, the danger was getting addicted and falling down that slippery slope of addiction, but today, especially with counterfeit pills, it could be one time… it could even be half a pill and it is lights out,” Chris advised.

To learn more about Didier’s work to raise awareness, visit: https://stopthevoid.org/