Health Edco: Well, I have to remind you that we have a 100-percent no-tobacco use policy on our premises.

Smokey Sue™: OK, OK (puts her cigarette out). It’s just hard for me to stop, I mean, my name is Smokey Sue, after all. I was made to smoke.

Health Edco: Sue, you are a bundle of contradictions. On the one hand, your bright yellow yarn hair, red button nose, and adorable freckles give the impression that you are some sort of lovable clown. But, underneath it all, you’re hiding a dark little secret, aren’t you?

Smokey Sue™: Well, I’m not sure this conversation is moving in an entirely appropriate direction, but … everyone knows clowns can be creepy.

Health Edco: So you do have a dark secret! Do tell!

Smokey Sue™: OK, fine. Yes, I do have a dark secret. Below my head and underneath my fabric scarf (which is very fashionable if I do say so myself) is a bulb. When users place me in a well-ventilated area, put a filtered cigarette in my mouth, and pump my bulb, I smoke.

Health Edco: I see. Go on.

Smokey Sue™: As I smoke, dirty, nasty tar accumulates in a collection tube. When I’m done smoking, a cap can be placed on the tube. Then, the tube can be passed around for closer inspection. Viewers can see the dark, dirty accumulation of tar and imagine the damage that happens to their lungs when they smoke.

Health Edco: Wow, Sue, that is a dark secret, but in an educational, life-changing sort of way! As I said, you are a bundle of contradictions. I guess you could be called a cute but somewhat creepy looking clown with a heart of gold because all you really want to do is help people by showing them the poisons that smoking puts into their lungs.

Smokey Sue™: I see you get me—you really get me. I’m a unique, effective, and interactive tobacco education tool.

Mr. Clean Mouth™: Smokey Sue has her dirty little secrets, but not me! I’m all clean, sparkly, and perfect all the time!

Smokey Sue™: You teach your way, Mr. Clean Mouth, and I’ll teach mine.

Health Edco: Say, how’s it going Mr. Clean Mouth? Your white, dazzling smile is a sight to behold.

Mr. Clean Mouth™: Thanks. That’s why I’m here: to demonstrate the power of good dental care and proper oral health.

Health Edco: Does good oral hygiene run in your family?

Mr. Clean Mouth™: Are you serious? My cousin, Smoker’s Foul Mouth™ Display, smokes like Smokey Sue, and you can see what it does to his oral health: tooth decay, gum disease, hairy tongue, leukoplakia, and oral cancer. Yikes! My other cousin, Mr. Gross Mouth™, has a smile destroyed by smokeless tobacco: inflammation and receding gums, cavities, broken and lost teeth, and various forms of oral cancer.

Health Edco: So, did the oral health damage from tobacco experienced by your cousins inspire you to make dental health a priority?

Mr. Clean Mouth™: Absolutely! That’s why I’m perfect for teaching proper brushing and flossing techniques. My soft, lifelike BIOLIKE™ tongue adds to my realism. I’m even available with a giant toothbrush, for demonstrations, or you can buy the toothbrush separately.

Health Edco: Do you have any other words of wisdom to keep a healthy smile?

Mr. Clean Mouth™: I sure do, and those words are right on the base of my display: See the dentist regularly, eat nutritious foods every day, and clean your teeth and mouth daily.

Health Edco: Well said, Mr. Clean Mouth, well said.

Swab Test Training Model: I would applaud Mr. Clean Mouth for his inspiring words, but I don’t have any hands. I also have an awful crick in my neck.

Health Edco: I’m sorry to hear that, Swab Test Training Model! Why is your neck sore?

Swab Test Training Model: Well, I’m here to represent Health Edco’s line of procedure training models. We train healthcare professionals in the performance of important patient care and health procedures. In my case, I’m designed to train healthcare professionals and staff in the performance of nasopharyngeal swab testing for the diagnosis of COVID-19, the flu, and other respiratory infections. That’s why my head is constantly tilted back for easier access to my sculpted nasal and oral cavities.

Health Edco: Does it ease your stiff neck knowing that your head is permanently slightly tilted for a good cause?

Swab Test Training Model: Oh, definitely—no pain, no gain! I love that I play an important role in training healthcare professionals and providing demonstrations.

Health Edco: Do you have any unique features that help you in your mission to teach?

Swab Test Training Model: I definitely do. My Plexiglas front allows students to watch as nasopharyngeal swabs are passed through my nasal passage. I also have a fleshlike tongue, and a standard tongue depressor can be inserted into my mouth to depress my tongue and demonstrate strep testing.

Health Edco: Thanks, Swab Test Training Model! We really appreciate what you and all your fellow procedure training models do to train students and healthcare professionals!

Well, we’d better wrap it up because the sun’s about to rise, which means all of these featured Health Edco products will turn back into inanimate, yet interactive, health education resources again. Thanks again to Smokey Sue™, Mr. Clean Mouth™, and our Swab Test Training Model for spreading the mission of health education. Season’s greetings!

The information contained in this newsletter is not intended to replace the advice of a healthcare professional.

©2023 Health Edco^®