Australian winemaker Nick “Duggie” Dugmore is turning a personal tragedy into a public crusade. The 41-year-old founder of Stoke Wines is sounding the alarm on glyphosate—the world’s most common weed killer—which he believes triggered his transition from a healthy father of two to a Stage 4 cancer patient.
The Catalyst: A Night on Kangaroo Island
In 2022, Dugmore’s life changed after a camping trip on Kangaroo Island. After pitching his tent near canola crops recently treated with herbicide, he suffered an immediate, violent physical reaction:
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Direct Contact: Dugmore unknowingly tracked the chemical into his tent via his hands and feet.
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Acute Reaction: He developed a full-body rash so severe it was initially misdiagnosed as monkeypox.
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The Aftermath: He suffered through six nights of total insomnia before the skin irritation subsided.
The Diagnosis
Fourteen months after the rash, doctors discovered a tumor in Dugmore’s bowel. Based on the tumor’s size, his surgeon estimated its growth began exactly when he was exposed on the island. Initially diagnosed at Stage 3, the cancer has since progressed to Stage 4, spreading to his lungs despite intensive chemotherapy and radiation.
The Glyphosate Controversy
Dugmore’s case reignites the global debate over glyphosate, the active ingredient in products like Roundup.
| Organization | Stance on Glyphosate |
| World Health Organization (2015) | Classified as “probably carcinogenic to humans.” |
| U.S. EPA | Claims “no risks of concern” when used according to label instructions. |
| Regulatory Status | Currently legal in Australia, the U.S., and Europe. |
Dugmore argues that the danger isn’t just a single “big splash” of the chemical, but the unfathomable chronic exposure found in our daily food and water supplies. “Once you start looking into this stuff,” he warned, “you can’t unsee it.”
A “Huge Amount of Purpose”
Despite the grim prognosis, Dugmore describes a profound shift in his internal world. While he views his illness as “death by a thousand cuts,” the experience has stripped away the trivialities of life, leaving behind a clarified sense of joy.
“I’ve never lived so f—ing purely and happy, and just in love with life in all my life.”
By sharing his story, Dugmore hopes to encourage a global “slow down,” urging people to reconsider their relationship with the environment and the chemicals used to sustain modern agriculture.