Mothers Advocate for Enhanced Drug Education Following Children’s Drug-Related Deaths

“We lost our children, and we must live with that reality daily,” stated one parent. In October 2020, Jeni, daughter of Sandra Larmour, passed away mere hours after commencing her degree at Newcastle University. The 18-year-old, originally from County Armagh, died following the consumption of ketamine, which she received from one of her new flatmates. Sandra Larmour and the mother of a London schoolboy who died after taking ecstasy have now united to advocate for increased drug education within Northern Ireland’s schools. Sandra Larmour and Fiona Spargo-Mabbs discussed their children, their personal experiences, and their desire for schools and parents to engage in open discussions with young people regarding drugs, during an interview with BBC News NI. Daniel Spargo-Mabbs, a sixteen-year-old from south London, died in January 2014 after consuming ecstasy at an illegal rave. In his memory, his parents established The Daniel Spargo-Mabbs Foundation, a charity dedicated to educating young people about the hazards of drugs. They also commissioned a play for educational institutions, written by Mark Wheeller, which bears the title of Daniel’s final words to Fiona before he departed for the rave. The production, “I Love You, Mum – I Promise I Won’t Die,” has been performed in schools across England and Scotland and is now scheduled for performances in Northern Ireland. This new production, created by Coleraine-based Ever Unique Productions, is slated to tour schools throughout Northern Ireland in spring 2025. Fiona Spargo-Mabbs and Sandra Larmour were present at a Christmas fair hosted at Larchfield Estate in Lisburn, an event aimed at garnering support for the production. Despite Jeni’s death occurring in 2020, Sandra expressed that the event still felt as recent as yesterday. She stated, “You relive all those moments every single day.” “I know it’s happened; I know she’s not coming back, but there’s part of me that goes, ‘Did it really happen?'” she added. “Jeni as a person was very vibrant—she got involved in everything,” Sandra described. “She was just a very outgoing, friendly person—lots of friends no matter where she went,” she continued. Fiona Spargo-Mabbs noted that Daniel shared many similarities with Jeni. “He was full of life and energy and enthusiasm,” she remarked. She explained, “At the point he went out for that last night, he was doing really well; he was in a really good place.” “So at the point he came home on a Friday evening and said, ‘Is it ok if I go to a party with some friends not far from home?’, after all the usual checks and him reassuring me that he’s sensible and responsible, I said yes,” Fiona recounted. Fiona mentioned that, as a parent, she had presumed Daniel was receiving drug education at school. “It turned out that he wasn’t, but he wasn’t alone in that,” she revealed. Sandra Larmour stated that she routinely cautioned Jeni about the risks of drink spiking when going out, but that discussions about drugs themselves were largely absent. “I suppose I, as a parent, wasn’t fully aware of that; I wasn’t fully informed myself,” she admitted. She identified deficiencies in the drug education provided to young people in schools. “We need to bridge the gap up to where young people become fully informed of what is out there, what the dangers are, what the types of drugs are, and what the effects of those can be,” she asserted. She further emphasized the necessity for young people to understand the hazards of combining alcohol and drugs, as well as strategies for managing peer pressure. She noted that Jeni had consumed alcohol with other students prior to taking the ketamine that ultimately resulted in her death. “Was there the element of ‘I’m at university now, I’m a big girl, I can fit in’ and this is what you do?” she questioned. Both women expressed that the play depicting Daniel’s story, performed by young actors from Northern Ireland, could effectively convey the reality of the experience to young audiences. Fiona Spargo-Mabbs commented, “It can be such a powerful way of communicating a message to young people.” “What happened to Dan it could be anybody’s story,” she added. The play is part of the curriculum for GCSE students in England and Wales and has toured various schools; it is now scheduled for performances in Northern Ireland’s schools. Additionally, a public performance is planned for Portadown town hall. Sandra Larmour stated, “We just don’t want another family to go through this.” “I want to make sure that everyone in Northern Ireland knows Jeni’s story, that they can draw on that and be able to help their own children out,” she continued. “With Jeni’s name being mentioned in this, for me it keeps her memory alive,” she explained. “But predominantly, my reason is to stop another parent getting that phone call,” she concluded. Both mothers reported encountering “complete enthusiasm” when they discussed the play and their educational initiatives with politicians and education officials. They have also held a meeting with Education Minister Paul Givan. However, Fiona Spargo-Mabbs indicated that she is no longer able to watch her son’s life and final moments depicted on stage. “I’ve banned myself from ever watching it again,” she revealed. “I don’t feel I’ve even begun to process lots of things and kind of even accept that this is something that’s actually really happened, although of course I know it has,” she confessed. “But facing that is really hard,” she added. Copyright 2024 BBC. All rights reserved. The BBC bears no responsibility for the content of external websites. Information regarding their approach to external linking is available.