happenings
Health Education Materials
That Speak Volumes
It’s December: a time of holiday cheer when a special magic is in the air! At Health Edco, we’ve noticed that magic, too, and we’ve found it in an unlikely place!
During the daytime at our offices and manufacturing facility in Waco, Texas, we’re hard at work creating our innovative materials and models that bring health education to life. After hours, however, during the magical month of December, we’ve caught something unexpected on our security cameras: Our health education products actually come to life!
When we discovered our products were coming to life in the middle of the night, we confronted them and asked, “You’re alive! What do you want to say?” And, not surprisingly, they said, “We want to bring health education to life by sharing our important health messages!”
Of course, our products always speak volumes about health education, even without uttering a sound. But, during this magical month of December, we’re going to let five of our health education resources speak for themselves in their own words: Sneezy Sam™ Display, Lou-Wheeze™ Smoker’s Lungs Comparison Model, Mr. Gross Mouth™, Anatomy of an Opioid Abuser 3-D Display, and the Balancing Act of Food and Fitness Activity. Let’s see what they have to say!
Health Edco: So, Sneezy Sam, let’s start with you. You’re deceptively simple: a cartoon pig face that spits out water, yet you spread a powerful message with that simple spray.
Sneezy Sam: That’s right! Don’t let my snout fool you: I’m all about teaching good hygiene. And it’s not just about manners; it’s about stopping the spread of germs and respiratory illnesses!
importance of covering coughs and sneezes.
Health Edco: What do you mean?
Sneezy Sam: A quick squeeze of a concealed bulb on the back of my head sends a spray of harmless water out of my mouth, but that spray represents just how far the germ-infested droplets in an uncovered sneeze can spread. I’m a great way to help young people understand just why it’s so important to cover your coughs and sneezes to prevent the spread of germs.
Health Edco: I see … and right now, when people are inside more with the cooler weather, it’s especially important to keep those coughs and sneezes covered, isn’t it?
Sneezy Sam: Exactly! And this little piggy doesn’t want to go home sick! We all want to be well and out and about, so we need to be careful about preventing the spread of germs by practicing good hygiene, including covering our coughs and sneezes.
Lou-Wheeze: You said it, Sneezy Sam! No one wants to be sick, and no one wants to face a potentially life-threatening disease because of a deadly habit, either. That’s why I’m here to spread a simple message: Don’t smoke, and if you do smoke, quit!
reveals how tobacco harms the lungs.
Health Edco: Well said, Lou-Wheeze, well said. I’m glad you’re able to speak at all, seeing as your right lung appears to be riddled with cancer and emphysema.
Lou-Wheeze: Sadly it is, but my left lung is pink and healthy. You can use my included bellows pump to inflate my lungs and see for yourself how easily my healthy lung deflates while my cancerous black and emphysematous lung struggles to expel air before the next breath. It’s a miserable way to suffer, and it’s all because of my smoking habit. Tobacco is bad news, period. All of those toxins! It’s terrible.
Health Edco: So, Lou-Wheeze, do you think vaping e-cigarettes is a safe alternative for young people and nonsmokers?
Lou-Wheeze: Absolutely not!! Young people who get hooked on the nicotine in e-cigarettes may be more likely to turn to smoking. And young people’s brains are still developing, which can prime their brains for addiction to nicotine and other drugs. If you don’t vape, don’t start! Forget about it!
Mr. Gross Mouth: Geez, Lou-Wheeze, since you’re talking about the addictive powers and the dangers of nicotine, don’t forget about the horrors of smokeless tobacco!
leaves a lasting impression on the dangers of dip and chew.
Lou-Wheeze: Oh, Grossy, for crying out loud! How can I forget when I have to look at you and your big, ugly mouth!
Mr. Gross Mouth: OK, OK, I see how things are. But that’s my point. Smokeless tobacco isn’t a safe alternative to smoking any more than vaping is. Look at what it’s done to my oral health: inflamed and receding gums, cavities, and so much cancer! Mouth cancer, tongue cancer, cancer of the palate, cancer of the gums … They don’t say I have a dirty mouth for nothing!
Health Edco: No, they don’t. Nicotine is an addictive drug however you use it, and the consequences of addiction aren’t pretty.
Anatomy of an Opioid Abuser: No, they aren’t. Look at what opioid addiction has done to me! I feel like people can just see inside me and understand how an opioid addiction can lead to terrible consequences, such as liver damage, infections of the heart and blood vessels, respiratory depression, and death.
to explain the devastating and deadly effects of opioid abuse.
Health Edco: That’s terrible, Opioid Abuser.
Anatomy of an Opioid Abuser: Please, call me Opie.
Health Edco: Opie … really? OK. You just don’t look like an Opie.
Anatomy of an Opioid Abuser: Look, I really just want to caution everyone about the perils of opioid addiction. Prescription opioids should be taken as prescribed by a healthcare professional, but don’t take medication that hasn’t been prescribed to you. And don’t think the pills you’re buying on the streets that are sold as prescription opioids are the real deal. They could contain extremely powerful synthetic opioids, such as fentanyl, that can kill after a single pill. Addiction to prescription opioids often turns to heroin addiction, too.
Health Edco: Sadly, opioids cause more overdose deaths than any other drugs.
Anatomy of an Opioid Abuser: Bottom line: Opioid addiction too often ends in overdose and death. Know the facts, and get help if you have a problem. Treatment can help you overcome an opioid addiction and develop healthy lifestyle patterns.
Balancing Act of Food and Fitness: Speaking of healthy lifestyle patterns, balancing calories taken in through food with calories burned through activity is key to weight management and overall health. That’s my message!
the importance of the balance between food and physical activity.
Sneezy Sam: The limber-armed, goofy-grinned, balancing man finally speaks!
Balancing Act of Food and Fitness: OK, Sam, I won’t call you “Pig Face” anymore.
Sneezy Sam: It’s OK; I’m not offended.
Balancing Act of Food and Fitness: Anyway, I go by Lance (short for “Balance”—get it?). But, I kid you not. Balancing calories consumed with calories burned is essential for overall health and well-being. Players can use me to answer questions about nutrition and fitness and place calorie disks on my arms to see how foods and activities balance. So what if I look a bit goofy? I’m a fun, interactive teaching tool!
Health Edco: Look, guys, the sun is about to come up, which means you all are about to turn into inanimate, yet interactive, objects again. Sneezy Sam, Lou-Wheeze, Mr. Gross Mouth, ”Opie” (Anatomy of an Opioid Abuser), and ”Lance” (Balancing Act of Food and Fitness, thanks for spreading your important health messages! We know you’re just waiting to leave our warehouse and bring health education to life year-round wherever you go! Season’s greetings to all!
©2022 Health Edco®