A show (and smoke and vape) stopper of a showcase is soon to be in town and it’s a breath of fresh air!
Te Mana o Te Hā is an interactive science showcase that helps audiences understand more about smoking, vaping and the nicotine industry in a fun and interactive way.
It will be in the Taranaki rohe from Monday 25 May, fittingly during Smokefree May, visiting Hāwera and New Plymouth and it’s free to attend.
Organised by Dr Karyn Maclennan (Taranaki Iwi) and Dr Craig Grant through Ōtākou Whakaihu Waka Otago University, the exhibition has been travelling the country during the last year.
“The origin of Te Mana o Te Hā is that it’s an interactive way of explaining the risks associated with smoking and vaping and giving context about what nicotine does to your body, along with the other chemicals,” says Craig.
“It was also born out of the need for some counteractive action against the nicotine industry’s increased focus on vaping and marketing of their products to young people” added Karyn.
Building on the standard stop smoking messaging, this showcase offers an alternative lens to nicotine with clever exhibits that give visitors a hands-on and science-themed insight into its effects.
“It’s very much hands-on and tactile, there’s not a lot of text that you have to read or like an exhibit at the museum where you can’t touch anything. It’s really interactive!” says Craig.
Think blow up lungs, a step back in time to view shocking marketing tactics, the truth behind vape flavours, and even the opportunity to know what nicotine tastes like (not real nicotine, of course, but so you get the idea).
Karyn shares that one of the most impactful parts of the exhibit for her is the display of the old cigarette adverts from decades ago.
“They’re terrible, looking back now it seems incredible the tobacco industry was able to promote their products the way they did – but then they sit alongside the current vaping adverts, and you can see quite clearly the similarities in their tactics, it’s really eye opening,”
“When high school students see this part of the exhibit, I’ve seen them suddenly start to think about the nicotine industry and how it works to entice people to become addicted to their products,” she says.
Touching further on addiction and its risks, Karyn shares, “I hear people saying that vaping isn’t as harmful as smoking, but I want people to really think about what harm is.”
“Thinking of harm beyond cancer or physical impacts on your body – the actual harm from addiction and dependence can be all encompassing and can really impact the trajectory of someone’s life.”
“People start for so many reasons,” Craig adds, “Boredom, anxiety, peer pressure. Vaping often starts as a short-term fix for these symptoms, but often creates a vicious circle and it becomes harder and harder to stop over time.”
The showcase is designed for rangatahi in those formative years, but there are benefits for all ages attending the exhibition, especially parents, teachers and anyone working in healthcare.
“The feedback so far has been really heartening,” says Craig.
“Most recently we’ve been in Hawkes Bay and teachers have said they’ve overheard some students have discussions after the showcase about what they’ve learnt and taken away,
“Feedback from our visit to the West Coast has been that 70% of surveyed attendees have gone away thinking about how they could actively support someone to stop vaping or smoking with what they’ve learnt, which is exactly what we’ve set out to do with the exhibit!” he says.
“It’s all about getting out there and sparking conversations in the community,” says Karyn.
You can attend the Te Mana o Te Hā Science Showcase over the following dates and times:
25 – 28 May, 9.30am – 5.30pm, Hāwera Library
29 May – 5 June, 9.00am – 5.00pm on weekdays and 10.00am – 2.00pm on weekends, Te Piere / WITT campus, New Plymouth
If you have any pātai about the event, please get in touch with: [email protected]
The Tui Ora stop smoking team will be present at each event to offer wrap around support for any smokers feeling inspired to stop or to provide more information about the service to anyone that wants to find out more.