Ideas: Huffing
Aired March 30, 2006 on WVIZ/PBS
Some say it's like leaving cocaine or heroin under the kitchen sink. But that's not the high millions of kids are after when they open the refrigerator or reach into the bathroom cabinet. They're looking for and finding "drugs" just as deadly as coke, in common everyday household products, used by kids as inhalants. And if you've never heard of something called "huffing," you should know that by the time a kid reaches 8th grade there is a one in five chance that they tried it, according to a new report. Kids know all about huffing but, sadly, too many parents remain clueless about this deadly activity. A recent survey of local school districts reveals that if you live in northeast Ohio, your kids may be at more risk. Both Lake and Geauga counties have reported an alarming rate of inhalant abuse - they've seen rates twice the national average. So how do you know if it's happening in your house and more importantly: how do you stop it?
Frontline: The Meth Epidemic
Aired April 4, 2006
on WVIZ/PBS
Speed. Meth. Glass. On the street, methamphetamine has many names. What started as a fad among motorcycle gangs in the 1970s has become big business, largely due to the efforts of two Mexican drug runners who began smuggling ephedrine - the same chemical used to make over- the-counter cold remedies - into California by the ton. Hundreds of illegal meth labs are now operating in the western United States, and the effects are sweeping the nation. From coast to coast, meth abuse is on the rise, but who's responsible? Is the government doing enough to crack down on this latest drug craze? In a reporting partnership with The Oregonian, Frontline investigates America's addiction to meth and exposes the inherent conflict between the illegal drug trade and the legitimate three-billion-dollar cold remedy business.
Ideas: At the Crossroads
Aired June 15, 2006 on WVIZ/PBS
Statistics tracking teenage use and abuse of chemicals, including alcohol, are shockingly high... but dependency isn't the only mental health issue affecting the nation's youth. That's evidenced by its being "just one" of several mental illnesses tracked and treated by area doctors. Federal statistics show that mental health disorders affect one in five American children and adolescents, and half of those are, by definition - emotionally disturbed. There are many reasons kids wind up in treatment. Courts can order it. Schools can request intervention. So can parents, who become naturally concerned when a child turns difficult to manage, or exhibits signs that there could be mental health issues. Rick Jackson went to Lake County to talk to the experts at Crossroads, a mental health treatment facility designed especially for teens and pre-teens. He researched whether Northeast Ohio numbers are in line with national stats, what type illnesses are the most prevalent, and what brings on mental illnesses. He also sat in on several sessions, one lead by Dr. Steve Bell of Crossroads, in which several young boys talked about their situations.
