A charity hopes to teach the public more about lung health by bringing a set of large, inflatable lungs.

The Roy Castle Lung Cancer Foundation’s ‘Mega Lungs’ will be visiting the island on July 4 and 5.

On July 4, the 12-foot-tall inflatable lungs will be placed on Regent Street, Douglas, in front of Marks and Spencer, weather permitting.

On July 5, the lungs will be making an appearance at Tynwald Fair.

A spokesperson for the foundation said: ‘As the use of vaping continues to be a concern around young people and is now being encouraged as a stop smoking aid, we think it is an extremely pertinent time to promote healthy lungs and to show the damage that any foreign substance infiltration can cause.

‘We plan to have information sheets on how to look after your lungs and simple experiments in which the children, and adults, can be involved.’

The lungs will also show examples of the damage that smoking and vaping can do to your lungs.

The ‘MegaLungs’ provide interactive education on various diseases that affect the lungs, including asthma, bronchitis, emphysema, lung cancer, pulmonary embolism and pneumonia by showing the damage these diseases can cause.

The Manx government is currently working on legislation to restrict the sale of vaping products to those over the age of 18. A public consultation into the ban of vaping products on under-18s was conducted by the Cabinet Office throughout January.

Cabinet Office Minister Kate Lord-Brennan MHK said: ‘Given the evidence and the growing concern over vaping among young people, it is important to act quickly to get these controls in place.

‘We are pleased to have the full support of retailers and colleagues in the Isle of Man Constabulary, Department of Education, Sport and Culture, Office of Fair Trading and the Department of Health and Social Care.’

The results of the consultation are due to be published ‘imminently’, according to a government spokesperson.

The ‘MegaLungs’ have even featured on ITV’s daytime television show, This Morning.

The Roy Castle Lung Cancer Foundation – named after the television star and performer who died from lung cancer in 1994 –was set up in the Isle of Man in 1991.

It was led by Professor Ray Donnelly, a cardiothoracic surgeon working in the island, who recognised the enormity of the challenge posed by lung cancer, and the need to address it.

The charity has been involved in many campaigns in the island, including a sponsored walk and the ‘On the Right Path’ campaign, which aims to increase awareness of symptoms, challenge disease misconceptions, and provide accessible information.

As part of this campaign, during Lung Cancer Awareness Month, various buildings across the island, including Castle Rushen, were lit up in blue.

If the weather is not suitable on either day, the lungs will be placed inside the Strand Shopping Centre in Douglas.