New Hampshire voters who've lost children to opioids say crisis being neglected

PLAISTOW, N.H. — Jim and Anne Marie Zanfagna are Democrats, and Doug Griffin is a Republican, all living in southeastern New Hampshire.

As their state holds the first-in-the-nation primary Tuesday, there's one issue they agree on: Candidates need to pay more attention to the opioid crisis wrecking hundreds of lives.

They want to hear more about treatment and recovery programs, because, for them, it hits close to home.

Sitting in a living room with soft gray walls and weathered leather chairs, as an orange cat skittered around, Jim and Anne Marie Zanfagna spoke about their daughter, Jacqueline.

«Jackie was actually a bit of an introvert. She was kind of shy until she got familiar with the situation; then she opened up,» her father told ABC News.

«She was creative; she was a really good writer … I thought she really had a talent for that,» her mother said.

Jackie, who had mental health issues, struggled with opioid use disorder. On Oct. 18, 2014, she died at age 25 from an accidental overdose.

Her mother painted a portrait of her — capturing a moment of time in her life cut short. She then began painting portraits of others for a local group, Mercy Street, where addicts in recovery and families affected by addiction could come together.

Since then, the Zanfagnas have founded a nonprofit, Angels of Addictions, and Anne Marie has painted hundreds of portraits of people who have died from substance use disorder.

Doug Griffin of nearby Newton has one of those portraits.

His daughter Courtney was «a shining star,» he told ABC News.

«She was smart and funny and always wanted to help somebody. And she fought the drugs.»

When Courtney realized she was struggling with drug addiction, Griffin said, she joined the Marine Corps, but she was