News Archive
2023 News

Spiked vapes
A hot topic of the moment is the use of vapes containing something other than the usual e-liquid. In a way, this isn’t anything new:

Christmas campaign – please donate
These are Dan’s trainers. Fiona sometimes takes them into schools to show young people how precious they are to their families and friends. In

Young people, drugs and social media – a survey for 13-18 year olds
In 2020, concerned that there didn’t appear to be much data on young people’s exposure to drugs through social media, the DSM Foundation ran a

Nicotine pouches – what’s the issue?
The pre-workshop survey that we ask older students to complete always makes interesting reading, and it has put a new product firmly on our radar:
Fiona on BBC Radio London as part of focus on Croydon
DSM Foundation founder and director Fiona Spargo-Mabbs featured on BBC Radio London’s breakfast show on November 20, 2023, kicking off a week’s focus on the
Working with Middlesex University to evaluate our drug education
We’re delighted to have got through the first application stage for Phase Two of the government’s NIHR Innovation Fund, to continue working with Middlesex University

Gabby Logan interviews Fiona for her Midpoint podcast
DSM Foundation founder and director Fiona Spargo-Mabbs was the subject of an “extraordinary people” series of episodes on Gabby Logan’s podcast The Midpoint. Interviewed

DSM survey data reveals vaping top of perceived substances in use for 15-18 year olds
Survey data from over 6,500 15-18 year olds gathered by the DSM Foundation has shown that 95 per cent of respondents say that vaping is

Our survey told us…
Before we go into schools to speak to older students (Y11 and older, or equivalent in non-English schools), we ask them to complete a survey.

Head of Education and Engagement
We are recruiting a Head of Education and Engagement to join our senior management team. This role involves working with the Director and Board of

Fiona Spargo-Mabbs, DSM Foundation founder and director, receives OBE from King
The DSM Foundation is delighted to announce that Fiona Spargo-Mabbs, founder and director of the DSM Foundation, received her OBE from King Charles during an

Scottish Government funding for our drug education pilot
We’re delighted to have been awarded a grant of £10,000 from the Scottish government for our drug education pilot in the Grampian region. Anyone

National Drugs and Alcohol Education Conference 2023
On June 21 we cohosted the National Drugs and Alcohol Education Conference 2023 alongside the Alcohol Education Trust at Newcastle University. The university’s vice chancellor

DSMF’s Scotland showcase event – a review
A year or so ago, the play of Dan’s story “I Love You Mum, I Promise I Won’t Die” did a tour of a few

The vaping conflict
When we are booked to deliver a drugs education workshop to students aged 15 years or older, we try and survey them beforehand. This is




Nitrous oxide – a game of two halves
The government’s announcement to make nitrous oxide illegal in England and Wales caught many people by surprise, including the Advisory Council on the Misuse of

Become a Theatre Angel! Help to fund our first ILYM national theatre tour
Donate now to be an ILYM Theatre Angel! We’re incredibly excited about this next chapter of the ‘I Love You Mum’ adventure. Octopus Dream

Odd Socks Day 2023
Dan’s story is at the heart of all we do and each year we like to celebrate his birthday by holding an annual Odd Socks Day! Why Odd

Response to the Duke of Sussex’s comments about his mental health and drug use
This week has seen Fiona Spargo-Mabbs, founder and director of the DSM Foundation, approached by a number of media outlets for comment on an interview

Spiking – a sinister and under-reported crime
Spiking is one of the things we get asked about quite a lot during our workshops in schools. It is understandable, given the relative frequency

Drugs education charity issues warning over comments made by the Duke of Sussex about his mental health and drug use
Over the weekend, the DSM Foundation has been approached by a number of media outlets, asking for comment on an interview the Duke of Sussex

An often overlooked impact of drug use
Cigarette butts, used nitrous oxide canisters and discarded disposable vapes are common sights in our parks and on our pavements. This week’s blog gives some

National Lottery funding for parents workshops
We’re delighted to announce that we have recently been awarded funding by the National Lottery Community Fund to provide drug awareness workshops to parents and

National Alcohol & Drugs Education Conference 2023
Evidence-based best practice in alcohol and drugs education: empowering young people to make healthy choices in the classroom and beyond. A day for professionals to

Once more into the blogosphere…
Welcome to the DSM Foundation blog, a way of us putting out there some of the things we’d like to say but never seem to

Fiona Spargo-Mabbs OBE!
It is with great pride that we can announce that the incredible Fiona Spargo-Mabbs has been awarded an OBE in the New Year Honours List