As part of the health promotion campaign targeting the bad effects of inhaling smoke from cigarettes, primary school students were invited to participate in a competition and draw a picture that shows the negative effects of smoking.
Ms Charmaine Cassar and Mr Roderick Cilia, the school PSD teachers decided that rather than just talking about the negative effects of smoking or just showing the children some pictures about it, students would benefit more if they witnessed first hand what actually happens when someone smokes.
The PSD teachers conducted a a very simple experiment using transparent aquarium pipes and plastic bottles. The aquarium pipes served to show how cigarette smoke goes down the larynx and trachea. The bottles were filled with water and a cigarette was lit and put in the plastic tube. After a couple of seconds water was poured out of the bottles, creating a suction. The bottles perfectly mimicked the lungs as a thick cloud of smoke entered the bottle replacing the water. When the bottle was full of smoke, the cap was unscrewed and replaced with a tissue. Blowing through a tiny hole at the bottom of the bottle, the smoke was forced out of the bottle and the chemicals contained in the cigarette got stuck to the tissue. The students could observe the tissue changing colour and becoming yellow with tinged with brown. They were all fairly disgusted as they imagined this muck filling the lungs of unfortunate persons who fall victim of such a habit.
After the experiment the students were invited to join their teachers in class. They used a website to show the changes a human body goes through when the person decides to start smoking. The most shocking discovery for the students was the sufferance endured by an unborn child inside the womb of a smoking mother. This, apart from all the other negative effects that smoking has on the body.
After time for questions students were told that our school was asked to participate in a drawing competition about the negative effects of smoking. The students were very enthusiastic about the idea and it was extremely rewarding to receive around 200 drawings which were all presented to the health promotion unit.
Good luck to all participants.