An interactive science outreach programme from Tūhura Otago Museum, designed to give information about smoking and vaping has been doing the rounds of Southland schools over the last few weeks.

The display, called Te Mana o te Hā, is full of interesting facts and information designed to make people think about what they are putting into their body, what impact this is having to the environment and whether we are being persuaded into addiction due to the way that these products are marketed.

Are we being sucked into another form of addiction that is touted as being healthier than cigarettes? Is this just another way that the tobacco companies are trying to make money out of the consumers?

Jonika Edgecombe, Pasifika Engagment Co-Ordinator for Tūhura Otago Museum, is the voice of the display for the voyage around the Southland schools and she brings a youthful exuberance to the program.

“Just because something is normal, it doesn’t mean it is all good” Jonika tells the students.

“We are here to encourage you to have an informed decision about what you are doing”

The display has four sections for investigation:

● Nicotine is not our whakapapa – Trace how a wild plant from the Americas was spread throughout the world to become the leading cause of preventable death in the 20th century.

● Footprint of harm – Uncover the environmental, socio-economic, and health impacts of the tobacco industry.

● Pipe dreams – Discover how the slick marketing, sleek products, and subtle appeals that have underpinned the advertising tactics of tobacco are now in play to promote vaping.

● Nicotine-free futures– Discuss how to prevent further harm and take a leadership role in your whānau, school, and/or community.

The display is worth taking time to read and there are certainly lots of interesting facts and things to look at.

The environmental impact alone is quite an eye opener.

The lithium from vape batteries thrown away each year in the US alone would be enough to make 6,000 EV batteries, but we don’t tend to hear people commenting on that.

Edgecombe encouraged the students to really think about the impact that vaping would have on themselves but also on the environment as that is an important part of our lives.

“Vaping is too new for its long-term health impacts to be fully understood” states one poster but the statistics are clear that these products are highly addictive and our young people have been caught into this new craze.

“From 2019 to 2021, teen vaping rates skyrocketed in Aotearoa. By 2022, 10% of year 10 students were vaping daily and 18% were vaping monthly”

The display also has a selection of advertisements for smoking from the past, and recent ones for vapes to encourage the viewers to think about how the marketing messages might be targeting a certain audience to buy their product.

Edgecombe was clear about the display’s current purpose.

“We are not here to tell you what to do, but to make you see what the impacts of those choices are."

And the students certainly learnt quite a lot and were encouraged to share their findings with their classes.

Finlay Jones, a year 9 student from Northern Southland College said he was surprised to learn that there are over 4000 chemicals in cigarettes, and several of the students were horrified to see the effect of smoking on your lungs which was shown through a model of preserved pigs’ lungs that the students could inflate.

One was pink and healthy looking and the other had been treated with chemicals to show the damage from smoking.

The display has been around the North Island and has spent time in Southland thanks to funding from the Southland District Council.

Students from Waiau Area School, Fiordland College and Northern Southland College have already been able to take time to explore the display, with Aparima College due to see them next week.

The plan is then to have the display up in the Golden Centre Mall in Dunedin for a few more weeks.

Christian Burgess, Outreach and Education Manager said that it had been great to get this display out around the countryside and get the information to students who may not get into the big centres.

Over the years, Tūhura Otago Museum has taken around several interactive displays about science and space, thanks to funding received.