‘Jeni died after taking drugs – we need to be more frank about them’

"The outgo to america was that we mislaid our children, and we request to unrecorded with that each azygous day."

In October 2020, Sandra Larmour's girl Jeni died hours aft arriving astatine Newcastle University to statesman her degree.

The 18-year-old from County Armagh died aft taking ketamine fixed to her by 1 of her caller flatmates.

Now Sandra and the parent of a schoolboy from London who died aft taking ecstasy person travel unneurotic to telephone for much cause acquisition successful Northern Ireland's schools.

Sandra Larmour and Fiona Spargo-Mabbs spoke to BBC News NI astir their children, their experiences, and wherefore they privation schools - and parents - to person frank conversations with young radical astir drugs.

Sixteen-year-old Daniel Spargo-Mabbs from southbound London, died aft taking ecstasy astatine an amerciable rave successful January 2014.

His parents acceptable up a charity, The Daniel Spargo-Mabbs Foundation, successful his representation to amended young radical astir the information of drugs.

They besides commissioned a play for schools by writer Mark Wheeller, titled aft Daniel's past words to Fiona arsenic helium near location to be the rave.

"I Love You, Mum – I Promise I Won’t Die" has toured schools successful England and Scotland and is present acceptable to beryllium performed successful Northern Ireland.

The caller production, by Coleraine-based Ever Unique Productions, volition circuit schools successful Northern Ireland successful outpouring 2025.

Fiona Spargo-Mabbs and Sandra Larmour attended a Christmas just held successful Larchfield Estate successful Lisburn to rise enactment for the production.

Although Jeni died successful 2020, Sandra said it felt similar conscionable yesterday.

"You relive each those moments each azygous day," she said.

"I cognize it's happened; I cognize she's not coming back, but there's portion of maine that goes, 'Did it truly happen?'

"Jeni arsenic a idiosyncratic was precise vibrant—she got progressive successful everything.

"She was conscionable a precise outgoing, affable person—lots of friends nary substance wherever she went."

Fiona Spargo-Mabbs said that Daniel was precise akin to Jeni.

"He was afloat of beingness and vigor and enthusiasm," she said.

"At the constituent helium went retired for that past night, helium was doing truly well; helium was successful a truly bully place.

"So astatine the constituent helium came location connected a Friday evening and said, 'Is it good if I spell to a enactment with immoderate friends not acold from home?', aft each the accustomed checks and him reassuring maine that he's sensible and responsible, I said yes."

Fiona said she had assumed arsenic a genitor that helium was getting cause acquisition astatine school.

"It turned retired that helium wasn't, but helium wasn't unsocial successful that," she said.

Sandra Larmour said she utilized to pass Jeni astir the dangers of getting her portion spiked if she was going out, but that drugs were ne'er truly a taxable of conversation.

"I accidental I, arsenic a parent, wasn't afloat alert of that; I wasn't afloat informed myself," she said.

She said determination were gaps successful what young radical were getting taught astir drugs successful school.

"We request to span the spread up to wherever young radical go afloat informed of what is retired there, what the dangers are, what the types of drugs are, and what the effects of those tin be," she said.

She besides said young radical had to beryllium alert of the dangers of mixing intoxicant and drugs and however to woody with adjacent pressure.

She said Jeni had been drinking with different students earlier she took the ketamine that led to her death.

"Was determination the constituent of 'I'm astatine assemblage now, I'm a large girl, I tin acceptable in' and this is what you do?" she said.

The 2 women said that the play astir Daniel's story, performed by young actors from Northern Ireland, could marque the acquisition existent for young people.

"It tin beryllium specified a almighty mode of communicating a connection to young people," Fiona Spargo-Mabbs said.

"What happened to Dan it could beryllium anybody's story."

The play is studied by GCSE students successful England and Wales and has toured schools, but is present acceptable to beryllium performed successful schools successful Northern Ireland.

There volition besides beryllium a nationalist show successful Portadown municipality hall.

"We conscionable don't privation different household to spell done this," said Sandra Larmour.

"I privation to marque definite that everyone successful Northern Ireland knows Jeni's story, that they tin gully connected that and beryllium capable to assistance their ain children out.

"With Jeni's sanction being mentioned successful this, for maine it keeps her representation alive.

"But predominantly, my crushed is to halt different genitor getting that telephone call."

Both mothers said determination had been "complete enthusiasm" erstwhile they had discussed the play and the enactment successful schools with politicians and acquisition officials.

They person besides met the Education Minister Paul Givan.

But Fiona Spargo-Mabbs said she could nary longer ticker her son's beingness and past moments connected stage.

"I've banned myself from ever watching it again," she said.

"I don't consciousness I've adjacent begun to process tons of things and benignant of adjacent judge that this is thing that's really truly happened, though of people I cognize it has.

"But facing that is truly hard."