Drug education charity the DSM Foundation has announced their decision to refine their social media presence and step away from the platforms X and Bluesky. The decision was made after concerns about the platforms’ safety measures for children and clashes in values with the charity’s own mission.
Founder and director Fiona Spargo-Mabbs OBE stated, “Our concerns about retaining a presence on X have been ever growing, alongside our ever deepening unease at changes progressively made since it was taken over by Musk. Our decision to stay on the platform has been constantly revisited in light of this, and we’ve stayed all this time only because so many schools we work with are active on X and communicate with their parents and caregivers there. However, this is no longer sufficient reason to remain in an online space that has become so toxic, with cuts to safety measures for children and values espoused that clash profoundly with our own.”
The charity will continue to maintain its presence on Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn, as well as their own website at www.dsmfoundation.org.uk. The decision to leave X and Bluesky was made in order to align the charity’s online presence with their mission and values.
The DSM Foundation was established in 2014 following the death of 16-year-old Daniel Spargo-Mabbs from an accidental overdose of ecstasy. The family of Daniel felt that he did not have enough information to make safe decisions and saw a gap in resources and support for schools. This inspired them to set up the charity to prevent other families from experiencing a similar tragedy.
The aim of the DSM Foundation is to provide young people with relevant, age-appropriate, up-to-date, and evidence-based information about drugs. This empowers them to make informed decisions to keep themselves and their friends safe. The charity currently works with almost 750 schools, colleges, and community organizations to provide education and resources on drugs. They also provide workshops for parents and caregivers, as well as training for school and college staff. The charity also offers “I Love You Mum, I Promise I Won’t Die,” a verbatim play commissioned by the charity to tell Daniel’s story through the words of his family and friends. The play is sometimes studied as a GCSE Drama set text on the Eduqas syllabus, and schools can also book a Theatre in Education performance. Additionally, age-appropriate and evidence-based drugs education lesson resources are available for free on the DSM Foundation website for teachers to use in PSHE/PSE provision.
For more information about the DSM Foundation, please visit https://www.dsmfoundation.org.uk/. Media enquiries about this press release or the work of the DSM Foundation can be sent to media@dsmfoundation.org.uk.
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