Te Mana o te Hā

Smoking is a pandemic that kills millions globally, including an average of 13 Kiwis each day

Faced with the need to replace dying customers, tighter regulation, and heightened public awareness of the dangers of smoking, tobacco companies have pivoted to vaping.

Now a new generation is addicted to nicotine and there are questions that desperately need to be answered...

Is history repeating? How real are the risks? Are we on the cusp of a new nicotine-based pandemic? How can we break the cycle?

Te Mana o te Hā is a hands-on science showcase that journeys through history to explore those issues. See what your face would look like after years of smoking, investigate a diseased lung and test your heart rate as you interact with the showcase's four modules:

-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.

27 January – 13 February
Beautiful Science Gallery
Free