A documentary chronicling the tragic death of 5-year-old Sophia Larson and her father’s ongoing effort to raise awareness about the dangers of drug use around children is now available to watch for free on YouTube.

“Lost Innocence: The Story of Sophia Larson,” originally released behind a paywall in 2024, was made publicly accessible Oct. 9. The film follows Sophia’s father, Alec Larson, through his yearslong pursuit of justice and advocacy following her accidental methamphetamine overdose in 2019 while in the care of her mother and two relatives.

Larson said that while the initial paid release struggled to reach a wide audience, making the film free to view fulfills his original intent — ensuring Sophia’s story is accessible to anyone who might learn from it.

“We had a lot of support for it, especially throughout the valley, but not a lot of people actually paid to watch it,” Larson said. “Now anybody can view it, pass it along to someone they think needs to see it — that was my goal from the start.”

Sophia died on Dec. 12, 2019, after ingesting methamphetamine from a water bottle left out in her mother’s apartment. Her mother, Stephanie Alvarado, and two relatives, Daniel Alvarado and Bertha Ceballos-Romo, were later convicted in connection with her death.

The film was produced by Eric Carroll, host of the podcast “Dad Talk Today,” and documents both the events surrounding Sophia’s death and the ensuing legal process. The case drew national attention and sparked discussions about Colorado’s Good Samaritan law, which offers immunity to individuals who call 911 during a drug-related emergency.

Larson said the release marks a meaningful step toward the broader awareness he has long hoped the project would generate.

“This is what I wanted to happen with it the whole time,” he said. “I just wanted her story to be out there for the public. It’s finally come to what it was supposed to be — something people can use as awareness.”

Larson said the renewed visibility from the documentary’s free release provides an opportunity to keep Sophia’s memory alive while continuing his mission to prevent similar tragedies.

“Just getting it out on social media is going to be a big platform,” he said. “That’s all I’m trying to do — keep spreading this thing.”

“Lost Innocence: The Story of Sophia Larson” can now be viewed on YouTube.

This story is from PostIndependent.com.