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Aug. 21, 2024 - Dr. Oz Podcast
35:57
Flint's Water Crisis Exposed: Investigating The Hidden Dangers | Dr. Oz | S7 | Ep 81 | Full Episode
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Dr. Oz investigates.
Toxic tap water in Flint, Michigan.
It makes kids sick.
Could it happen in your town?
Aaron Brockovich sounds off.
We uncover how this happened and the long-term health consequences.
Plus, the hidden danger that can kill.
I didn't even know this was that big of an issue.
The video every family needs to see.
They have these warning labels.
Do they make any difference at all?
Coming up next.
We'll save lives today.
We'll save lives today.
We are ready to get healthy.
Today, question critical to your health and your families.
How safe is your drinking water?
Now, all across the country, there are problems in our towns that impact our health, and we often have no idea.
Part of the problem is we haven't updated our water systems in decades.
You know those pipes that carry water into your home?
They could be toxic.
There are many cities and towns all over the country where people just don't trust their water supply.
And now it's reached a crisis in places like Flint, Michigan, which has us asking, could your town be next?
CNN chief medical correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta reports directly from Flint, the epicenter of the contamination.
He's going to tell us how residents are coping and what's being done to protect the children of Flint.
Environmental activist Erin Brockovich will also be here.
She knows firsthand what the people of Flint and other cities all around the country are dealing with when it comes to contaminated drinking water.
And no matter where you live, we're going to give you the clues you need to find out if your water is safe to drink.
But first, breaking health news.
Recently, President Obama declared a state of emergency in Flint, Michigan, as an entire city, roughly 100,000 people, became exposed to contaminated water.
The most vulnerable are the children.
They often are.
9,000 kids under six years of age are being poisoned by toxic levels of lead found in their drinking water.
How could this have even been allowed to happen?
The water in Flint.
So contaminated that the president has declared a state of emergency.
This allows the city and county to receive federal aid for the water crisis.
The city's water demanded the government supply them with bottled water.
In the past week alone, more than 26,000 cases of bottled water have been distributed.
Children is in danger.
The fact that somebody did this to my children, they made this decision with no regard for human life and safety whatsoever, is a fury that I hope no one else has to feel.
But Flint is not alone.
All across America, our nation's water supply is under assault.
Water in West Virginia contaminated by a 5,000-gallon industrial spill.
New Mexico and Colorado polluted after a mine spill spews toxic wastewater into the Colorado River.
Natural gas drilling igniting water concerns in states like Pennsylvania, New York, Florida, Wyoming, Utah, and Texas.
And California facing not only drought, but new reports that nearly 20% of its underground water carries high concentrations of contaminants like arsenic.
Hundreds of communities are now concerned about water contamination, tapping into widespread worries all across the country.
So let me show you how this all happened in Flint.
Normally, they had clean water.
A lot of towns have clean water.
And when clean water goes into your pipes, it gently goes through them like it always has.
It's not a big deal.
And guess what?
At the end of the day, you get nice, clean water coming into the cup that you're drinking from.
But, unfortunately...
Although we desire that, that's not always what we get.
Things begin to change sometimes, and what Flint did in order to save some money, and perhaps for other reasons as well, they switched from the Detroit water supply to the Flint River.
This set off a chain reaction.
Because the river, unfortunately, has water that is highly corrosive.
And it wasn't being treated, which violates federal law.
As the water flowed through the pipes, first it began eroding the iron mains, turning the water into this sort of brownish color that a lot of people were complaining about.
And as that color began to affect the water, people got worried.
But worse than that, half the pipes leading into the homes are made of lead.
And because the water wasn't being treated, high levels of lead began leaching into the water supply.
So guess what happened to the water?
It started turning this ugly, brown, foamy color that so many of the residents began talking about.
And my friend, he's a colleague as well, and CNN's chief medical correspondent, Dr. Sanjay Gupta, is joining us live from Flint.
And Sanjay, you're on the ground in Flint, Michigan.
That must be the river right behind you.
As a neurospecialist, what's your biggest concern?
The biggest concern is you're dealing with a heavy metal, lead, that can get absorbed into just about every organ in the body.
It gets into cells and it stays there, Dr. Oz.
So it basically interferes with the way cells It can cause all sorts of problems short-term and then long-term as well, months, years from now.
It also crosses the blood-brain barrier.
There's not many things that cross over into the brain.
So in children, it can cause learning difficulties, developmental delays.
In adults, it can cause mood disorders, depression, memory loss.
So this is a very serious toxin.
And as you know, Mehmet, I've traveled all over the world Some of the levels of lead that we're talking about here are some of the highest I've seen.
And as you point out, it's from that river just here behind me.
So as you're sitting at home watching right now for the average viewer, how would they even know if some of the changes that are happening, which sound sometimes subtle, are from lead poisoning or other toxins that might be in their water supply or elsewhere?
Well, you know, I mean, most people never think about this, and they shouldn't have to here in the United States.
I mean, you trust your water.
Some of the early symptoms can be very vague.
I mean, in a child, it could be that they're having some learning difficulties.
They may have excessive sleepiness.
They may have to be motivated to get out of bed in the morning.
That sounds pretty typical for a lot of kids.
But as you go further along, You can have more serious complications.
You can have children, their development will overall start to be delayed.
They may not grow as quickly.
They'll start to really have troubles in school.
They can have seizures, they can have tremors, they can have all sorts of diagnosable problems with mood.
And in adults, you can get some of these same issues as well.
It tends to be worse in children under the age of six, in part because many of the organs and many parts of the nervous system are still developing very rapidly at that age.
You're now essentially sticking a heavy metal into the system and gumming it up, if you will.
So the system just can't develop as it normally would.
Well, Sanjay, especially for some of these mood issues, do we know if it's reversible?
Even if they cleaned up the water in the Flint City system, does it make a difference for some of these kids who may already have been impacted?
You know, I don't want to be overly dramatic with this, Dr. Oz, but people say that lead poisoning is irreversible, and I think there's good reason to say that.
It's because when this heavy metal binds in your body, it's very difficult to get it out.
It gets really stuck in there.
I guess that's the best way to sort of describe it.
It is irreversible for the most part.
What they will tell people to do here is obviously not expose yourself to any further lead.
They've now changed the water supply back to Lake Huron, that cleaner water supply.
The problem is this, Dr. Oz, the lead pipes that were actually used to transport the water, they have become corroded as a result of using the Flint River Supply.
So the pipes are now the issue.
The pipes are leaching lead into the water.
So despite where the water's coming from, It is still having lead in it, which is why they're still using bottled water just about everywhere over here.
And let me add one more sort of almost ridiculous part to this equation.
When they started using the water from the Flint River here just behind me, if they had used an agent that was just $100 a day for the entire community, $100 a day, they could have prevented that water from damaging the pipes.
They didn't do that.
So the pipes are now damaged.
And we're talking, you know, hundreds of millions, if not billions of dollars now.
To change the entire infrastructure of water in this community.
That's what they've got to do going forward.
That speaks to the fact that water is critical to our lives and dangerous at the same time in many different ways.
Tudy, thank you very, very much.
Stay warm.
When we come back, iconic environmental activist Erin Brockovich sounds off on water contamination, not just in Flint, but across the country.
Next, what one resident of Flint, Michigan has to say about this toxic disaster and the price she and her family are paying.
They didn't allow us to protect our children.
What she's doing to save her family.
How she's fighting back.
Her story is next.
It's an hour of power on the next Oz.
Beat your energy slump.
So tell me how to make these and I will judge if they taste as good as my energy balls.
The power plan to restore your energy from early morning to late night.
Then get your finances in order.
It's easily done.
Anybody can do this.
The power plan to stop living paycheck to paycheck.
And are foods pumped with caffeine safe?
We check it out in our Food Truth series.
All new Oz.
That's coming up tomorrow.
The kissing bug.
The fact that it drinks blood out of your lips isn't the gross part.
It actually poops on your face.
Parasites that hijack your body.
How do you actually find that if you have one?
Plus, Brandy's health battle.
I was like a stick.
I didn't have any life in me.
Did you stop eating all new Oz?
That's coming up on Monday.
The scope of this water crisis became even more clearly in focus when a local pediatrician in Flint launched her own independent study.
And what she found was that lead levels in children doubled since the water switch, and in some areas of Flint, it actually tripled.
Now, I invited Melissa to join us.
She's a resident of Flint.
Thank you for being here.
Thank you for having me.
And she says that she and her family have been suffering from the contaminated water.
Now, you addressed the state of the state address.
Your governor formally apologized Yes.
About what happened in Flint.
Do you accept his apology?
Absolutely not.
It's too little too late.
Our water still isn't safe.
Those pipes are still in the ground contaminating every drop of water that's coming through.
I don't accept it.
Take me back a little bit.
When did you first notice there was something wrong?
A month or two after the switch, our water started smelling just terrible, like open sewer, sometimes like dirt, and then a lot of times like bleach.
And then it started coming through yellow and blue, which we now know as copper, and we didn't know why.
They just told us the water was hard, and it was just a bump in the road.
So, as a mom, appropriately skeptical that what you're being told isn't right, did you notice any changes in the health of your family?
Did the kids do anything that was out of the ordinary?
Soon after, I started noticing my kids were very tired.
We all started developing rashes on our faces and our arms, our backs.
Is that your face?
Yes, that's my face.
And the worst part is, and that's my arm, you couldn't put makeup on it.
You couldn't cover it up.
You couldn't put eczema lotion on it because it burned.
They were chemical burns breaking out anywhere that you let the water touch you.
And it was hard to figure out, but they just kept saying, it's fine.
It's safe.
It's just hard water.
So they're saying this to you.
You obviously are living a different life, pushing back.
What are you saying to them to get this on people's radar screen?
Well, we had asked them, test the water, help us, help us understand, and they just said the water was safe until we received a notice in January of 2015 that we had for nine months been consuming water that had a carcinogenic byproduct in it, and they didn't tell us.
How'd you react to that?
We started protesting immediately.
10 degree weather.
We were like, okay, we are paying the highest rates in the country.
Often $200 a month for this water.
Nobody told us that we were being poisoned and we had been subjecting our kids to this water and that was enough.
We'd had enough.
So I understand your part...
This is how you change things.
You just joined a lawsuit alleging that the city and the state did things they shouldn't have.
What are the specifics and why did you decide to go ahead to take that route?
Well, we couldn't get answers.
Nobody still has taken accountability for what they've done.
And I'm Sorry doesn't cover the fact that they hid the emails.
They knew in May of 2014 that we were failing these tests.
There was bacteria.
There was high spiking lead already.
And they didn't tell us.
They didn't allow us to protect our children.
And had they said, we're having issues with the water, get some filters, drink some bottled water, that would have been great instead of me handing a tainted glass of water to my kids and have their futures forever changed.
Oh, I'm so sorry.
Thank you for sharing the story.
And listen, you're the reason change happens in America, Melissa.
Thank you.
I want to ask someone who you all know very well, environmental activist.
The iconic Erin Brockovich is joining us for the past 22 years.
She deserves the applause.
She has been the champion of countless women and men looking for answers to their environmental complaints.
So Erin, when you hear Melissa's story, what do you feel?
What goes through your mind?
I feel her frustration.
I've heard this story from countless community members in Flint and I find it very disturbing.
They have paid the ultimate price to their health and their children's health because of a change of a water system that agencies concealed from them and it is this Lack of transparency and the ability when we have a situation like this to come forward and get in front of a story and stop it before we create a health demise as they're facing is inexcusable.
I share in their frustration and I have to tell you I could not be more proud of the community of Flint, Michigan.
When they say they've had enough, they took charge, they've had enough, and they've stood up to use their voices to bring this to the forefront and national attention.
And I could not be more proud of them.
So Aaron's going to stay with us.
When we come back, it doesn't matter, frankly, where you live.
Contaminated water could affect you and your family.
what you need to know when we come back.
Next, the toxic water crisis is not new nor confined to Flint.
Why has there been an increase of contaminated water?
Erin Brockovich sounds off.
Can toxic drinking water reach your hometown next?
The health risks you need to know about.
Coming up next.
The kissing bug.
The fact that it drinks blood out of your lips isn't the gross part.
It actually poops on your face.
Parasites that hijack your body.
How do you actually find that if you have one?
Plus, Brandy's health battle.
I was like a stick.
I didn't have any life in me.
Just stop eating.
All new Oz.
That's coming up on Monday.
We're giving you all the tools to take your day-off diet to the next level.
Extensive shopping lists.
A customizable calendar to keep track of your off days.
Delicious recipes from the Institute of Culinary Education.
And Facebook groups that have been personalized to match your weight loss goals.
It's all at your fingertips at DrRoz.com.
Thank you.
Folks, this toxic water crisis is not new, nor is it confined to Flint.
It's an ongoing crisis that's made the headlines all over the world.
Contaminated drinking water.
Back again is renowned environmental activist Erin Brockovich.
Hey Erin, this isn't just something that's happening in Flint, Michigan.
What is causing the dramatic increase in contaminated water all over the country?
Well, we are dealing currently with no less than a hundred situations, as you're seeing in Flint, Michigan, throughout the United States.
And one of the biggest problems that we're starting to see is what's called chloramines.
And for purposes of cost effectiveness, we've decided in some instances to shut off the chlorine.
And when chlorine and dirt get together, it can create other bacteria.
And then we just throw in a bunch of ammonia.
And so this chloramine process is changing the chemistry of the water, which is making, and it's important to understand, the water quality is different in every river and in every state.
Not one water quality system is the same.
So some are more corrosive, some have different pHs, and we cannot just willy-nilly decide to turn the chlorine off, throw in a bunch of ammonia, And think that we're not causing a chemical reaction, which is what's happening across the United States.
And we are seeing outbreaks of Legionnaires disease in New York, in Illinois.
We're dealing with bacterias now because they're shutting chlorine off.
The ammonia is not killing the bacteria.
Brain-eating amoebas down in Louisiana.
We're dealing with this issue in Gardena, California, Sacramento, California, Stockton, California.
Tyler, Texas is getting to be a huge problem and is a similar Flint, Michigan.
To Hannibal, Missouri, to Hugo, Oklahoma, it's a national problem.
And one of the biggest reasons why is we're changing the chemistry of the water with the chloramines and we're just acting willy-nilly and creating a toxic soup across the country.
Erin, let me go past the chemicals that we're adding to water, which maybe are done for cost-saving reasons or ones I don't even understand.
We also have a deeper infrastructure problem all over the country.
Isn't that part of the issue here?
Absolutely.
We have a failing infrastructure across the country.
Some estimated costs are saying $23 trillion to repair.
And you're seeing that now in Flint.
You know, this has been in place.
All this lead and manganese and iron out of our copper, out of our brass, copper, and our piping systems, which are now coming straight to your tap.
Public health and safety is in jeopardy because of this.
And yes, the infrastructure is an enormous problem.
This is brown water.
What do you think about that response?
No, that's not true.
You know, we have been involved in Flint for a year.
And, you know, we wrote reports for the city managers on how to treat this system to no avail.
We were ignored as many people were.
And what's happening is, again, it's leaching out high levels of manganese, high levels of iron, and that's It's the color change that people are seeing harmful.
So it's not a maintenance issue.
And this is something that's so important to discuss.
People need to be aware and educated and informed about what's going on with their water system.
And we need to get ahead of these stories.
So it's not maintenance.
That's exactly what's happening.
And that is what you're seeing in the water there.
So, Aaron, you spent your whole adult life fighting on these issues.
Don't you get frustrated, even angry, when you try to help Flint, Michigan, as you did a year ago, and places all over the country, and there's not a response?
Oh, my gosh.
It is beyond frustrating.
I mean, this is something that we've been seeing coming for 20 years.
And, you know, part of the problem we're having here is we all understand we cannot live without water.
It is the one thing that is most vital to our health.
And we can't be cutting corners.
And we have to.
You know, we have a Safe Drinking Water Act.
Nobody's following those rules and regulations.
We're all running around trying to cut corners and costs.
And when it comes to our water supply, that is one thing we absolutely cannot do.
And as frustrated as I am watching what's happening in Flint, I am happy to see that it is getting the national attention it deserves that we can begin to look at the national crisis we have, have this conversation, and stop hiding behind it and get in front of it and begin to do something about it.
That is what's so important to me.
Let me move past the water for one second because there are plenty of environmental issues popping up all over the country.
Gas leaks are a big issue.
In your own backyard, in Porter Ranch, there's a problem.
How do you cope with that?
Oh my gosh.
Again, a source of frustration and again something we can talk about.
You know, we have this unbelievable system that exists underneath our feet and we don't see it.
And the infrastructure of our water supply and the infrastructure that's failing in the oil and gas industry across this country is of great concern.
We have wells in the ground that are over 70 years old.
They become critical wells.
They're transporting gas.
And you have big failures like you do in Porter Ranch where they have not been able to stop this gas leak for five months.
We have already released hundreds of millions of pounds of methane.
into the atmosphere and day in and day out this community is gagging on mere captains which is full of sulfites they're having a hard time breathing with the methane the air is as it sucks the air literally out of you and we're now finding out all their reporting stations are showing high levels of benzene coming from this gas leak it too is a very critical problem and it's I'm a neighbor This community is frustrated.
They're not getting answers.
It's a real situation.
And we're having these problems in real time.
And we have a moment right now when we see these situations to identify what the problems are and start finding solutions to it.
Because our health is paying the ultimate cost.
And that is way too high.
We have got to stop these problems.
It has got to stop now.
So Aaron, advice for the many people who may be getting sick from what's in their water.
My advice is be aware.
We're seeing a new form of social activism that I think is absolutely beautiful.
They've demonstrated that in Flint.
People are taking charge, again, of their health.
They want information.
They're becoming proactive.
And they're making it their business to find out what's in their water, what's in their backyard, what their family's being exposed to.
And that's the greatest thing we can do, is see people using their voices, being proactive.
Be vigilant and being aware.
Erin Brockovich, thank you for all your leadership.
Let's address what she's talking about.
Thank you, Dr. Rice.
What are the signs your water might be toxic?
When we come back, the at-home test you can do today to protect your family.
Lots of other resources.
We'll be right back.
Coming up next, would you know what to do if your drinking water became contaminated?
How would you even know?
We're going to show you how to test it yourself with at-home water kits.
If it turns more reddish color, that means it's bad because it's the lead category.
Steps to protect your family's health today.
It's an hour of power on the next Oz.
Beat your energy slump.
So tell me how to make these and I will judge if they taste as good as my energy balls.
The power plan to restore your energy from early morning to late night.
Then get your finances in order.
It's easily done.
Anybody can do this.
The power plan to stop living paycheck to paycheck.
And are foods pumped with caffeine safe?
We check it out in our Food Truth series.
All new Oz.
That's coming up tomorrow.
Experts still don't know the answer to this key question.
How long do you need to be exposed to lead to create health problems?
It can be anywhere from weeks to months, so the goal is to eliminate any exposure altogether.
Here's what we do know.
There are no safe levels of lead in the body, neither children or adults, but the health consequences are the most severe on the developing brains of children.
Experts say that the most pronounced health issue that may be encountered in kids are learning disabilities, low IQ, ADHD, things that are happening and you're not going to know what it's caused from if you're not sure about your water.
So how would you know if the drinking water in your city or your town might be contaminated?
That's the question, right?
Right now, how do you figure it out?
Well, first off, look at the water.
These aren't always going to be the case, but there's some of the clues.
Is it cloudy?
Does it have a blue-green stain residue on your sink or your tub?
Is it foaming up?
Bleach-like odors, you know, and a foul smell.
An even metallic taste when you put it actually in your mouth.
These are all subtle clues that something's not quite right.
It's not foolproof, but at least it heightens your awareness that might be something that you want to look at a little more carefully.
Now, you can also test your drinking water yourself.
They're these at-home water testing kits.
They're found at any home hardware store, big box stores, garden stores, they all have them.
They cost between $7 and $25.
Oftentimes you'll put the water in a little container and ship it off to them.
It takes a little bit of time to get the results back.
There's a simple test that's out now where you take a dipstick.
If anyone's ever checked their urine, it's sort of the same kind of thing.
You take a dipstick, you dip it in drinking water, whatever you're drinking.
I'm sorry, you got to leave it there for about two seconds, one, two, one thousand, and then get rid of the excess water.
And then you got to let it sit for about 60 seconds.
But there's a chart that comes with it and tells you if that color changes.
In this case, it's still white, thankfully.
And what we'll see in 60 seconds, if it stays white, I'm good.
If it turns to this sort of more reddish color, that means it's bad because this is a lead category here.
And they have many other minerals that they check for.
Now, if your water tests positive, you've got to call your public water provider and your town council and do it immediately.
You saw what Melissa had to do.
You've got to keep calling, and oftentimes they're going to come out and actually officially test your water so everyone will know for sure.
You can also get, for free, your town's water reports.
They're online.
They're yours.
You can get them right now.
And to make it easier for you, we're actually providing a link on DrRoz.com so that you can make sure your family's being treated correctly.
Or you can do what I do, which is to put water filters on all of my faucets.
It's worth the investment.
So it's a minute out.
Thankfully, this is the water, by the way, in my dressing room here.
It's still white, so I'm still in good shape.
But I feel better about it.
And you will, too, if you take a little proactive step here and be part of the solution.
Let's talk about what's going on here.
By and large, the drinking water in this country has been safe.
We grew up with pretty safe water.
That's one of the great public health accomplishments, and we should all be proud of that.
The question we've got to address right now is whether health is a right or a privilege.
And I think access to basic services that promote good health and clean water is critical to that is a right, and we all deserve it.
We also have an obligation, especially as parents, to keep investigating our water so our water and you stay healthy.
We'll be right back.
Coming up, the home video every family needs to see.
A hidden danger that can actually kill your child.
And it's the last thing you would ever expect.
Elizabeth Leamy investigates how window blinds can be deadly.
Coming up next.
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We're giving you all the tools to take your day-off diet to the next level.
Extensive shopping lists, a customizable calendar to keep track of your off days, delicious recipes from the Institute of Culinary Education, and Facebook groups that have been personalized to match your weight loss goals.
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It's a hidden danger that can actually kill your child.
And it's the last thing you'd expect.
Your window blinds.
ABC News Chief Investigative Correspondent Brian Ross broke this story.
And the tip-off?
A mother who accidentally caught on tape her own child's brush with death.
It's the home video that every family needs to see.
Consumer Reporter and a member of my core team, Elizabeth Leamy, is here.
You don't have to be a parent to be horrified by what we just saw in that tape.
I'm going to emphasize it has a happy ending before everyone panics on this.
I didn't even know this was that big of an issue, but I've since learned there are hundreds of kids who've died, like Gavin almost did, strung up by these window blinds.
Yeah, this is a big deal, and the Consumer Product Safety Commission has been working on it since 1985, but they've been mostly addressing it with individual recalls, so the problem is still out there.
And they have these warning labels.
Do they make any difference at all?
I think people are sort of numb to the warning labels, and another problem, the warning labels are on both the corded and the cordless blinds, so people really don't see them after a while.
I mean, it makes you very unsettled when your own home is perhaps a dangerous spot for your kids.
So, this young boy, his name is Gavin Walla, would have likely become another statistic had his mother not seen him dangling from the cord, as you just saw.
I want you to wait until you see what his parents did to save his life.
That happened about 10 years ago.
Gavin is now a healthy senior in high school.
My wife and I always talk about this.
When the kids are crying, it's usually a good sign.
Because a kid who can't cry is a much sicker child oftentimes.
Why did the family decide to release this video now?
They wanted to help other families.
They realized they're the lucky ones.
They want to make sure some other people out there see this, don't lose their child.
There have been more than a hundred deaths since Gavin had his close call.
So what do investigators say to parents when these accidents are found?
Well, that's one of the most upsetting things.
Many of the parents whose children died were investigated by Child Protective Services and actually blamed for their own children's deaths, even though you would think that your own home is a safe place and you wouldn't be looking up at those window blinds as a possible source of hazard.
It's doubly tragic to be accused of hurting your own child.
Where's the government in all this?
Well, the head of the Consumer Product Safety Commission says he is taking this on as his personal mission.
He says it is going to be a long fight, and he's ready for it, but it is going to take years.
So, if you're alarmed by what you've seen, and I am, you don't have to throw out your window blinds.
You don't have to wait years and years for the government to come back with some solutions.
When we come back, I'm going to show you how you can protect your family from these window blind cords today.
Coming up, we dig deeper into the potential dangers of window blind cords.
Elizabeth Leamy sheds light on what retailers are doing to solve this fatal hazard.
Find out what you can do today to childproof your windows and keep your family safe.
That's next.
It's an hour of power on the next Oz.
Beat your energy slump.
So tell me how to make these and I will judge if they taste as good as my energy balls.
The power plan to restore your energy from early morning to late night.
Then get your finances in order.
It's easily done.
Anybody can do this.
The power plan to stop living paycheck to paycheck.
And are foods pumped with caffeine safe?
We check it out in our Food Truth series.
All new Oz.
That's coming up tomorrow.
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ABC News chief investigative correspondent Brian Ross conducted an undercover investigation on the dangers of window blinds.
Now, he sent reporters into the department stores to ask salespeople for advice regarding the potential dangers of these blinds.
I want you to take a look carefully at what happened.
So, retailers must be taking steps to address this issue.
This is very fear-invoking.
Yeah, so Ikea and Target have already gotten rid of corded window blinds in their stores.
None.
None anymore.
Walmart, Lowe's, Home Depot, they are in the process, but they're still going to be in their stores until 2018, so it is taking some time.
Come on over here.
Elizabeth says there are a couple things we can do right now, today, to prevent these blinds from doing harm to anybody in your family, especially the kids.
The first, literally, is to cut the cord.
That's right.
Loops.
You're not talking about financial cords when you go to college.
That comes later.
That comes later.
Loops are the enemy.
Loops are where children are choking themselves.
And it seems like a freak accident, but after so many cases, we know it's not.
So you literally want to cut this so that it's two separate harmless cords.
It works just fine.
And it sort of makes sense because, you know, at nighttime...
The lines are down, so these cords are out of the way.
But especially when the kids are out playing around, and the cord's nice and long, you've got a lot of length to do some damage with.
Now, you also recommend these cord pleats.
Explain how they work.
Right.
Cord cleats come into play.
Yes, cleats.
Because of that length you're talking about.
So, one like this.
A little fancier one.
Two bucks at the hardware store.
The little clear ones.
You can usually get these for free from the blind company.
And that's right.
You use it to wind and wind and wind that cord.
And no shortcuts.
You've got to wind it all the way.
Because again, you cannot make a loop.
They probably can't reach that.
The kid can't get his head through there.
Now, can I give my biggest advice of all?
Absolutely.
This is all nice, and if you really don't want to get new blinds, it's fine.
But the cordless blinds, they look like this.
Folks, it's just a few pennies extra.
It's probably the best way to protect your family.
Easy down, easy up.
There's nothing kids are going to get hurt on.
I think it makes sense to make these investments.
And let's reward the stores that are stocking these already, because they all have them.
Make it worth their time.
When you're replacing your blinds, go for these.
Thank you very much, Elizabeth.
Always, always.
We'll be right back.
It's an hour of power on the next Oz.
Beat your energy slump.
So tell me how to make these and I will judge if they taste as good as my energy balls.
The power plan to restore your energy from early morning to late night.
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It's easily done.
Anybody can do this.
The power plan to stop living paycheck to paycheck.
And are foods pumped with caffeine safe?
We check it out in our Food Truth series.
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The fact that it drinks blood out of your lips isn't the gross part.
It actually poops on your face.
Parasites that hijack your body.
How do you actually find that if you have one?
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I was like a stick.
I didn't have any life in me.
How do you get back from that?
All new Oz.
That's coming up on Monday.
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