Inflatable MEGA brain teaches community about addiction, and how to promote brain health

IDAHO FALLS — Health educators spent Monday greeting school nan nationalist astir their brains and really to return attraction of them— while virtually stepping them done it.

Eastern Idaho Public Health celebrated World Brain Day pinch a elephantine inflatable “MEGA brain” that allows organization members to locomotion done nan world’s astir important organ to study astir disease, encephalon health, and really to support your mind successful tip-top shape.

“It’s awesome to spot what your encephalon looks for illustration if you person a disorder,” says Heather Hansen, a Health Education Specialist astatine EIPH. “It’s a awesome measurement for parents to show their kids, aliases for kids to spell location and show their parents, ‘I saw what an aneurysm looks for illustration today.’”

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One of nan main topics of nan arena included nan effects of vaping connected nan encephalon — thing galore parents are learning astir arsenic their kids are exposed to smoking.

“Parents don’t needfully cognize their kids are exposed to (vaping) astatine specified a young age. So, we want to get kids knowledgeable connected it earlier that happens,” says Hansen. “We want them to cognize really to grip those situations arsenic they travel up, and this gives parents an opportunity to talk to their kids.”

Information connected vaping dangers to children. | EIPH

The inflatable encephalon besides included accusation connected aggregate encephalon diseases, specified arsenic addiction, and accusation connected what to do if you aliases a loved 1 is struggling.

“We specifically sewage these inflatables to amended group connected what substances do to nan body,” says Hansen. “That’s benignant of our goal, to springiness them a memorable measurement to retrieve that these substances you take to usage do harm your body. It helps them to make a amended prime astir things for illustration that.”

As parents and children walked done nan brain, educators dream they had a memorable acquisition to commencement important discussions connected encephalon wellness astatine location and successful schools.

“Kids are very object-lesson oriented, truthful being capable to spot it, touch it and acquisition it, is simply a measurement amended measurement of having those lessons descend in,” says Brenna Christofferson, Communications Specialist for EIPH. “It’s conscionable bully to supply that work to them.”