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CNN Live Today

High From Sniffing; "Fit Nation"

Aired March 17, 2006 - 11:34   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: Parents, something for you to think about -- you might not want to think about this, though -- is your teenager getting high right under your nose? Parents, next week is Inhalants Awareness Week. Researchers count nearly two million new sniffers over the last three years. The vast majority are middle and high schoolers. One in five kids sniff or huff by eighth grade, paint, gas, felt markers, even shoe polish, just some of the common items teens use to get high. The father of a teen who died from inhalants it says it's critical for parents to watch for signs.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JEFF WILLIAMS, INHALANT VICTIM'S FATHER: After Colin died, I found out that there were certain signs of inhalant abuse, your tongue hurting, throwing up, passing out, anger for no reason, he had all of these. I didn't know the signs. If you don't know the signs, you can't save your children.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KAGAN: We're going to take an in-depth look at inhalant abuse with my guest in just a moment. First, though, the bottom line on sniffing in this CNN Fact Check.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

KAGAN (voice-over): It's a category of drugs that includes everything from air freshener to felt tip markers. More teens have tried inhalants than any other drug except marijuana. In fact, 21 percent, or one in every five teenagers, has tried inhalants at least once, according to the Partnership for a Drug-Free America. The slang terminology is usually huffing, sniffing or bagging. When most people think of sniffing, they think of glue, but experts say more than 1,000 products can be abused this way. Almost all are cheap, and as close as one of your closets or a store down the street.

Perhaps most disturbing is the fact that users can have a fatal reaction any time. Experts estimate there are several hundred deaths from inhalant abuse each year, though only about 100 actually get reported. Even more sobering, 40 percent of those deaths occurred the first time inhalants were used.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KAGAN: Harvey Weiss is executive director for the National Inhalant Prevention Coalition. He's in Chattanooga this morning. In Indianapolis, Lindsey Champlin is a recovering inhalant abuser. Good morning to both of you.

Lindsey, I'm going to start with you. First, I want to say thank you for being so courageous and generous to share your story on national television.

Can you tell us, Lindsey, how you started and why?

LINDSEY, CHAMPLIN, FORMER INHALANT USER: I started when I was 14. A friend introduced it to me, because we were bored, and we had been doing other drugs, but we didn't have anything at the time, and it was available. And she had tried it before, so she just offered to me. And I was like, hey, why not, something new, and it was worth the risk.

KAGAN: Well, have we lost Lindsey as well?

All right, technical problems with both of our guests. We're going to work on getting both of them back, and we'll be back in a moment.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAGAN: Welcome back. I think we fixed our technical problems. I want to welcome back Lindsey Champlin, joining us from Indianapolis, a recovering inhalant abuser, talking and telling your story to help other kids and parents out there.

So, Lindsey, thank you.

You were telling us how you started. What kind of regular everyday products did you use?

CHAMPLIN: I started off using like the air duster, the computer duster a lot, and I used Sharpies, like, when I was at school and whiteout and glue, that kind of stuff, and eventually led on to gas and to whipits (ph), using whipped cream containers you can find, like, anywhere you go in the house.

KAGAN: And when did you know you had a problem?

CHAMPLIN: When I would come down and I'd get headaches, and right away I'd huff to get back up, so to get rid of the headaches. So when I was using the problems to try to get rid of a problem, that's when I knew something was up.

KAGAN: And how did you hide all this from your parents?

CHAMPLIN: I'm sorry, what?

KAGAN: How did you hide this from your parents?

CHAMPLIN: Oh, it was just real easy, because they're such common household items, that if my parents were to find me with them, I had an excuse for everything. Like, why I would have like air duster or whipped cream in my room or in the house, I had an excuse. And it's such a short high that it's so hard for parents to catch it in the moment, and I could play it off really easy.

KAGAN: And when did you know it was time to ask for help, and how did you do that?

CHAMPLIN: ... short high that it's so hard for parents to catch it in the moment, and I could play it off really easy.

KAGAN: When did you know it was time to ask for help, and how did you do that?

CHAMPLIN: I didn't ask for help. I just got to the point where it was a bottom, and my parents stepped in and knew something was up. And I had been through several treatments, so my parents finally decided I needed something more intense and I got put in a long-term treatment center.

KAGAN: And that's what you're doing right now?

CHAMPLIN: Yes, I'm in Pathway Family Center in Indianapolis.

KAGAN: And how long have you been doing that?

CHAMPLIN: I have been in here for 12 and a half months.

KAGAN: So what would you say to other kids who are out there doing this right now?

CHAMPLIN: It's such -- it's just not worth it. It's such a short high, but has such long-term effects. And so many kids die. It's seems such like a small thing that everyone overlooks, but because it's overlooked, it's just people are in denial of the problem. It's such a huge problem. It's not worth the short high for, like, the long-term effects and the pain of it.

KAGAN: When you were doing it, did you realize just how dangerous it is?

CHAMPLIN: I had heard, and like, I had done studies on it for school, but I like never processed it. I was in that mindset that that can't happen to me, hearing stories of other kids.

KAGAN: And what would you say to parents out there who might think -- what would you tell them to look for that maybe your parents at first didn't know to look for?

CHAMPLIN: Just the -- it's just random products like throughout the house and throughout the room, and they get emptied. And, like, you find things missing. And my mom would be like, I thought I had this, but I guess I didn't. Don't second guess yourself. If you have that gut feeling that something's going on or that your child shouldn't have something, to go for it, and to like go off your instinct and do something about it.

KAGAN: And your recovery. You say you've been at this place for just over a year. What is the near future hold for you, Lindsey? CHAMPLIN: What does my future hold?

KAGAN: What's the next step for you?

CHAMPLIN: When I get out of here, I continue after-care for my program. I'm hoping to get out within the next month or so and I continue the after-care program. And I want to keep speaking to people about issues like this to, like, get it out there, and make people more aware of it. And eventually, you know, go to school and get a full-time job and just like live a normal life again.

KAGAN: Well, you know, we could put any number of adults on the air here -- and we did have Harvey Weiss; we had trouble getting Harvey -- but even we could talk to all the adults in the world, and I don't think it's as impactful as talking to a kid who has been through this, through a teenager. And you're brave and we thank you for doing that and telling your story, and wish you well in your continuing recovery.

CHAMPLIN: Thank you.

KAGAN: Lindsey Champlin. Thank you, Lindsey.

Well, question for you. Who was behind the mysterious change of schedule on television favorite "South Park"? Some people are pointing fingers at the world's most famous scientologist. That controversy, straight ahead, on LIVE TODAY.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAGAN: You've probably heard a lot lately about a surge in childhood obesity, but still, a lot of school systems are trimming gym classes, so kids can devote more time to their classroom studies. But there's one school system in Michigan that's looking to the private sector for help.

Our senior medical correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta explains in today's "Fit Nation."

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DR. SANJAY GUPTA, CNN SR. MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT (voice over): Now here's an exercise you don't expect to see a P.E. teacher do. But, you see, it's taco day, and with resources tight in the Grand Rapids school district, the gym at Madison Park Elementary doubles as a lunchroom.

HELEN SMITH, P.E. TEACHER: So we need to walk in, go to our spot and sit down quietly. OK? The floor may be wet.

GUPTA: Helen Smith, like many P.E. teachers here, goes above and beyond trying to help fight what their district labels a youth obesity crisis.

SMITH: You know if you need a big scooter or not. Get a big scooter if you need one. GUPTA: But it is tough. Kids here get a mere 35 minutes of physical education not per day, but per week.

SMITH: Get the ball.

GUPTA: And that's pretty typical for Michigan schools.

SMITH: We definitely have a childhood obesity problem. I mean, it's huge. It's 20 to 25 percent of kids are overweight, 9 to 15- year-olds. It's an epidemic, and it's only going to get worse if we don't do something about it.

GUPTA: So, Smith maximizes every minute she has. She has to. Four different elementary schools call her their P.E. teacher. Rushing from school to school carrying her own equipment, she become as blur of activity, cramming in as much as possible into class.

SMITH: Run over those, Lume (ph). Run over them.

GUPTA: If quantity isn't part of the game plan, Smith hopes the quality of fitness her students get will encourage exercise outside of class.

SMITH: It's not all about athletics. It's about moving, getting them off the couch, getting them doing different things, getting them involved, having a good time while they are doing it. Not thinking it's work.

GUPTA: Seeing the gap in kids' fitness options, other groups in Grand Rapids step in to help. This is the YMCA's Healthy U, a two- year-old program it hopes to bring to other communities. The Y brings its trainers and equipment to the schools for its after school programs two times a week. The other day it picks them up after school and takes them to the Y's state-of-the-art facilities.

That means these kids get about four and a half extra hours of fitness and nutrition activities a week.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: And you know what? That is so good for your heart.

GUPTA: All for free, thanks to grants and corporate sponsorships. There's kid-size exercise equipment, fitness classes, yoga.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Feel the breath as it enters your body and fills up your lungs.

GUPTA: When the kids started the program, 21 percent of them already had high blood pressure, 97 percent scored poor on flexibility tests. Now both are significantly better.

JAN WIERENGA, YMCA: We know that the program works. Obviously, how we feel, it's great. But we also see that the need is much greater than what we're able to do. And so, while we've been able to impact 3,000 kids, we see the need as 100,000 kids. GUPTA: And our phys ed teacher, Helen Smith, agrees.

SMITH: We have a lot of couch potatoes, I think. So hopefully we can get away from that.

GUPTA: Dr. Sanjay Gupta, CNN, reporting.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KAGAN: Here are two words that can ignite an argument between conservatives and liberals: Jane Fonda. Consider the Georgia state legislature. One lawmaker proposed a resolution honoring Fonda for her work to prevent teen pregnancies, which she has done quite a lot here in Georgia. But another lawmaker made an objection, noting Fonda's actions as a Vietnam War protester.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOHN DOUGLAS, GEORGIA STATE SENATE: I can think of no living American who is less worthy of this recognition than Jane Fonda. She is as guilty of treason as was Benedict Arnold and Tokyo Rose.

STEEN MILES, GEORGIA STATE SENATE: I am deeply sorry that a simple routine resolution honoring the tireless efforts of Miss Jane Fonda to prevent teen pregnancies in our state would cause such a horrific firestorm.

DOUGLAS: Honoring Jane Fonda, no matter how much good work she might be doing now, would be the equivalent of this Senate spitting on every person who has ever worn the uniform of this country.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KAGAN: Well, through an aide, Fonda asked that the resolution be removed. Lawmakers went ahead with the vote anyway, defeating the measure 38-1. The bill's sponsor even voted against it.

Our movie guy, Russ Leatherman, also known as Mr. Moviefone, he is off today. But we're still going to take a look at one of the big flicks opening this morning. It's called "V For Vendetta," and it's raising some interesting questions about heroes and terrorists and the fine line that sometimes separates them.

CNN's Chris Lawrence is in Los Angeles.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

CHRIS LAWRENCE, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): If America was under attack by a man who tries to blow up subways and bring down the government, would he empathize with a president who said this?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Gentlemen, I want this terrorist found and I want him to understand what terror really means.

LAWRENCE: That's the British leader in "V for Vendetta," set in a totalitarian London of the future. But he's the film's bad guy. The hero is the terrorist trying to free the people from oppression.

MICHAEL MANN, UCLA: One man's terrorist is another man's freedom fighter.

LAWRENCE: Historians say the labels can change with time. The Irish Republican army has been considered a terrorist organization. So was South Africa's ANC, run by Nelson Mandela.

DAVID KUNZLE, UCLA: And at the time, while he was still in jail, he was called by the U.S. government, a terrorist. What is he called now? Hero.

LAWRENCE: Just recently Palestinians elected Hamas to lead their government.

MANN: No doubt if the Palestinians ever develop a real state, some of the terrorists will be seen as heroes.

LAWRENCE: Can a movie change perceptions? Some say September 11th started a cultural shift in this country. Americans who instinctively rooted for the weak over the strong, underdog over oppressor, could have a hard time identifying with a terrorist.

MANN: If it is a normal movie and we're supposed to sympathize with him and the audience doesn't, well that will be I think a first. I can't think of another movie where there's an anti-hero in quite that way.

LAWRENCE (on camera): This film was postponed from November. The studio says it needed more time to finish. But some say it was out of sensitivity to last year's bombings in London.

Chris Lawrence, CNN, Los Angeles.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

(MARKET REPORT)

KAGAN: Let's got Tokyo for this one. They call it a hair happening. Leading stylist highlighting -- oh, my. Getting an inspiration here, Susan.

LISOVICZ: That's big hair even by Southern standards.

KAGAN: Interesting makeup. Well, most Japanese obviously born with straight, dark hair, but nearly 80 percent of Japanese women, 80 percent, have colored their hair. As I would say, nothing wrong with that. And 70 percent regularly bleach it. Only your hairdresser knows for sure. But I don't think personally I'm going with any of those looks. How about you?

LISOVICZ: Not the natural look, Daryn.

KAGAN: From hair-raising scenes, let's move on to the 19th International Body Painting Festival. Let's see if you get any inspiration here, Susan. The average application time for all this goo is four hours, about the time it takes me to do makeup here every morning at CNN. A lot longer to put on than you put on regular clothes. And you got to think about it, if you spill hot coffee on your lap, might be painful. Don't want to see you looking like this on Sunday morning -- Susan.

LISOVICZ: I've had red bloodshot eyes, though.

KAGAN: You're looking good just the way you are. You have a great weekend.

LISOVICZ: And you, as well, Daryn.

KAGAN: Thank you.

I'm Daryn Kagan. International news is up next. Stay tuned for YOUR WORLD TODAY.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

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