'I will never get over losing him': Idahoans share stories of loss and triumph on International Overdose Awareness Day

Aug 05, 2023

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BOISE, Idaho — The steps of the Idaho State Capitol were lined with 381 picture frames on Thursday. Each frame represented an Idahoan who died from an overdose last year. The was showcase on display as Gov. Brad Little signed a proclamation in honor of International Overdose Awareness Day.

“This issue affects us all and affects our communities,” Little said. “With each passing year, deaths are increasing, and that includes both prescription opioids and illicit drugs, like heroin, cocaine, meth, and especially synthetic opioids such as fentanyl.”

More than 2,800 Idahoans died from a drug overdose between 2012 and 2022. All drug overdose deaths increased 33% from 2020 to 2022, according to the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare.

On Thursday, state leaders and community members gathered at the statehouse to spread awareness in hopes another Idahoan isn’t lost to the same cause. Roberta Lopez lost her son Nickolas to an overdose.

"It is the most awful, most horrendous, most devastating thing that I’ve ever been through and I will never get over it,” Lopez said. “I will never get over losing him.”

She came to Thursday’s event to honor her son.

“I want people to know that it is a serious problem,” Lopez said.

Chantel Stone and Melanie Longoria were among the speakers at the event and shared their personal experiences with overdose, including witnessing their friends who also overdosed and nearly died.

“It was the scariest thing ever and I just – I heard my higher power tell me in my heart that I’m tired of seeing you play with your life –and I knew right then, 'okay, I’m going to be the next one to die,'” Stone said.

Both women now work as recovery coaches and want people to know there is help.

“I came so close to dying, people are still dying, and I’m alive,” Longoria said. “I'm alive today. I want people that are stuck in addiction to see that there's hope that they can change and that they can get help, and they don't have to die.”

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