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Tragedy Strikes in Italy; World Health Organization is recognizing gaming disorder as a mental health condition; Guinness World Record set by more than 700 people at a church in New York Stat
Aired August 15, 2018 - 04:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CARL AZUZ, CNN 10 ANCHOR: Welcome to CNN 10. My name is Carl Azuz. Thank you for logging on or tuning in for 10 minutes of news explained. We`re
starting in the European nation of Italy where tragedy struck in the northwestern city of Genoa yesterday. It`s where a major section of a
highway bridge collapsed at about noon time. And though Italian officials say it`s unlikely that anyone who is underneath the bridge when that
happened, traffic was flowing across it.
Italy`s Civil Protection Agency says around 30 vehicles and several heavy duty trucks were in the affected area. And as of last night, officials had
confirmed that at least 26 people have been killed and 16 people were injured. The Morandi Bridge is made out of concrete. It opened in 1968.
It`s part of a major highway for residents and tourists. The bridge helps link the Italian Coast with the French cities to the west. One eyewitness
said he thought he saw lightening hit the bridge shortly before it collapsed.
Police say violent storms were partly responsible but maintenance on the bridge was also taking place when it gave way. Authorities believe the
collapse was due to a structural failure. Exactly what kind and what factors led to that will be investigated in the days ahead. Ten second
trivia. The oldest continuously occupied city in the U.S. is located in what state, Virginia, Massachusetts, Florida or New York. Dating back to
it`s Spanish settlement in 1565, St. Augustine, Florida holds this record.
Today several counties in the state of Florida are under a state of emergency because of a red tide algae bloom. What the state of emergency
does is speed up money to areas that are effected by the problem. What the problem is, a red tide brings danger to marine and human life. Fast
growing colonies of a certain type of algae often turn the water red. Normally the blooms that occur off the coast of Florida start in October
and end during the winter but not this one. It`s lasted for nine months.
When the algae die they release toxins that have killed fish, sea turtles, manatees and other animals. And when the toxins have been carried inland
by the wind, they`ve caused respiratory problems for people in several counties. They`re being told not to swim in the water, breathe the air or
eat seafood from wherever red tides have been occurring. What`s to blame for the red tide? NASA says Hurricane Irma which struck last September
might have moved inland nutrients to coastal waters helping the algae to grow. That also happened in 2006, the year after Hurricane Katrina struck
in the Gulf of Mexico. Some scientists are also trying to find out if land development, farming and water use might have an impact on the algae.
(BEGIN VIDEO/AUDIO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Normally, a voyage like this is filled with relaxed anticipation. But these days a trip off of Florida`s Gulf Coast brings
only boat full`s of dread. Toxic algae is blooming like mad here and you can see and smell the result everywhere, on shore and off. A dolphin
sighting that would normally inspire wonder, now only makes you worry. There he is, he`s right here. Look at this. Wow, you can really feel it
in your - - in your nostrils, in your sinuses, and the back of your throat. It`s like a mild pepper spray when this algae gets up in the air. And so
if we can feel that discomfort, you got to wonder what it`s like to be a dolphin in the red tide like this. Oh, there he is. Their blowhole is
just inches beneath the surface.
And a visit to the marine biologist at Florida Gulf Coast University is like a sad visit to the morgue. These are just two of the more than 400
sea turtles found in this area alone. This is the villain right here. This is the red tide.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes. And this one down here on the bottom.
UNIDENTFIED MALE: Yes.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You have a natural phenomena called red tide as Mike said, but you have the nitrogen then coming in and giving it a booster
shot.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And now these scientists from Florida Gulf Coast University are testing water up to 20 miles off shore. Looking for the
infinitive proof that America`s sugar habit is also making red tides worse. You`re looking for the smoking gun.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I`m looking for a smoking gun.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Back on the beach it should be full of tourists. I find only clean up crews. Many of them unpaid volunteers. You live in
Tennessee?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Absolutely. Sevierville.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Did you come out here just to do this?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Absolutely. I did.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You`re kidding. Really.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I did. I did.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Have you seen red tides this bad before?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I have not.
(END VIDEO/AUDIO CLIP)
CARL AZUZ: Video game addiction is an issue that`s been debated in medical circles for years. Now the World Health Organization is recognizing gaming
disorder as a mental health condition. The medical branch of the United Nations has included this in the 11th Edition of it`s International
Classification of Diseases. And a member of the WHO says by classifying gaming disorder, medical professionals will become more aware of it and
people who suffer from it`s conditions can get the help they need.
Not everyone agrees that gaming disorder should be listed as a mental health condition though or that enough research has been done to do it.
One licensed psychologist in Texas said, this could leave to behaviors like watching too much football or doing too much research to be listed as
sicknesses. But many researchers agree that gaming addiction should be more closely investigated.
(BEGIN VIDEO/AUDIO CLIP)
EVAN PORTER: I pretty much started playing video games like seriously in like 5th grade. My amount of use got like 5th grade, 6th grade and then
like 7th grade and then 8th grade and like 9th grade it just went straight up. That`s when my life really started deteriorating.
KAREN PORTER: He was basically online all the time. Every waking moment. And he would refuse to go to school. He wouldn`t eat with us. He lost
weight. He was up all night.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And like any mom, Karen Porter became increasingly concerned about her 16 year old son Evan. But she didn`t know just how
serious the problem was. Now the World Health Organization is for the first time calling gaming disorder a mental health condition.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Which should be clearly defined behavioral pattern which is of such intensity, of such nature that it takes precedence of all
activities which have been important for an individual in the past.
UNDENTIFIED MALE: That was Evan to a T. Nothing was more important than his ability to get online and game.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Overwatch, Team Fortress II, Counter Strike, Global Offensive, games that are designed to keep you playing for hours.
(HILLARY CASH): I think it`s really helpful to understand that once an addictive process takes hold of someone, they do lose control. They`re
impulse to just go online and game and do whatever they want to do online. That is stronger than whatever it is they tell themselves they should be
doing.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Hillary Cash (ph) is co-founder of Restart. An impatient treatment program for video game addicts. It`s outside of
Seattle and about as far away as you can get from screens. Picturesque, peaceful and most importantly unplugged.
(EVAN PORTER): It`s a pretty big difference like growing up from screens to on screen all night to no screens.
UNIDENTIFED MALE: What happens here at Restart is no surprise lots of therapy. Time outdoors and an emphasis on inner personal interactions.
(HILLARY CASH): We`re social animals and we actually need to be physically present with one another. Face to face where we can see and hear and touch
and smell each other.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It`s still early days for Restart. They`ve graduated 19 adolescents in the last year and a half. But here`s the problem, the
real world is still filled with triggers for gaming addicts.
(EVAN PORTER): Alcoholic, (inaudible) can`t even have alcohol again. Someone who`s addicted to cocaine, can`t ever have cocaine again. But a
technology addict, a technology addict, I mean, pretty hard to live without technology.
(END VIDEO/AUDIO CLIP)
CARL AZUZ: Guinness World Record you probably didn`t know about. Most people playing hopscotch at the same time. It was set by 621 folks at a
Georgia elementary school a few years ago but this attempt was carried out by more than 700 people at a church in New York State. And it could be the
high bar. The church`s senior minister said, members were trying to bring people together.
And though some wondered if they even remembered how to play hopscotch, they did. You just put your best foot forward. It`s not easy to get a leg
up on so much competition though and a lot of squares not want to play. But with 700 people hopping to it, this record attempt was a shoe in and
though it`s time for us to bounce. A new broadcast of CNN 10 is just a hop, skip and a jump away ya`ll. I`m Carl Azuz.
END
