Ideas is a series of special one-hour programs produced and presented by WVIZ/PBS ideastream®. Topics for each episode are guided by ideastream’s “Listening Project,” a series of surveys, town hall meetings and other community-focused activities. Subjects such as education, the economy and jobs, the environment, economic development, civic affairs, and health and human services are prominently featured. Each Ideas episode also serves as the keystone for a compilation of related programming on 90.3 WCPN, WVIZ/PBS and content on ideastream websites. The goal of this program series is to focus audience attention on an issue or topic of broad community interest. These stories, segments, and entire programs are distinguished by their depth and quality of journalism and the creative storytelling ideastream audiences have come to expect and appreciate.

Thursday, March 30, 2006

Short URL  Share Leave a Comment

Saving the Cozad-Bates House
The woman who walked across Ohio along the Underground Railroad is trying to save what may be the last physical link to Cleveland's role in helping fugitive slaves escape to freedom before the Civil War. Joan Southgate held an event last weekend to draw attention to the Cozad-Bates House, the only remaining pre-Civil War structure in University Circle. Built in 1853 for Justus Cozad, the two-story red brick structure was next door to the Ford farm, a documented station on the Underground Railroad. The Cleveland Landmarks Commission wants to protect the house, now owned by University Hospitals. One day Joan Southgate hopes to see a museum there that tells the story of the Clevelanders - black and white - who risked their lives for the sake of freedom.

Methamphetamine Troubles
From the time we introduced you to the area's Methamphetamine problem seven months ago, the story of this insidious drug has ballooned. Ideas takes another look at the situation, with updated figures and through a new interview with St. Vincent Charity Hospital's Dr. Christopher Adelman. He'll help us come to grips on what medicine and treatment can do for impacted Ohioans. We'll also see what's happened in Columbus, that will soon make it tougher for people to create their own methamphetamine labs at home.

St. Vincent Charity Hospital
National Institure on Drug Use: Methamphetamine
Ohio Attorney General: Methamphetamine Production Threatens Ohio’s Future

Huffing
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?

National Institute on Drug Abuse: Inhalant Abuse
National Drug Intelligence Center: Huffing - The Abuse of Inhalants
National Inhalant Prevention Coalition

Media Multi-tasking
Surfing the internet. Watching TV. Listening to music. Playing a videogame. Talking on the phone. These are things kids do - and often all at the same time. Experts are calling this phenomena "media multi-tasking." Are your raising a house full of wired children? If so, take heart, you are not alone. But, should you be worried? Will all this multi-tasking impact your child's normal brain development? Will it make your child more apt to suffer from attention deficient? On ideas, Elaine Falk talked to Vanessa Jensen, Psy.D from the Cleveland Clinic, and Dr. Max Wiznitzer from Rainbow Babies & Children's Hospital about this phenomena and what parents can and should do to manage media multi-tasking.

Kaiser Family Foundation: Media Multi-tasking
USA Today: So much media, so little attention span
Times Online: Multitasking children are losing the plot
Time: The Multitasking Generation

Leave a Comment

Please note that all comments must adhere to ideastream's discussion rules and terms of use. Name:

Email:

Comment:

Please enter the word you see in the image below:

Send questions and comments to ideas@ideastream.org.