Thanks for joining us for this BTN Safe Living Special I'm Nathan Bazley...

LEAD POISONING
Annabelle Homer, reporter

INTRO: Lead is probably something you've heard of. It's a metal, it's very heavy and can be quite handy... for example it's used in car batteries. But something you might not know is that it's poisonous, which is why it can be very dangerous for kids. And as Annabelle found out it's not just people who are affected

ANNABELLE HOMER, REPORTER: It’s like something out of science fiction, scientists in suits test a whole town for a mystery killer.

They're testing the town of Esperance in Western Australia because four thousand birds have just dropped out of the sky.

But its not a virus from outer space that's the killer, its lead poisoning

The finger is pointing at the town's port, which is used to export lead overseas.

Local people are worried they might be poisoned tests have shown some of their rainwater tanks have high lead levels.

"They recommend we empty our rainwater tanks and clean it out"

So what is lead?

Well it's a naturally occurring metal that's mined in quite a few places, in fact Australia is the biggest producer of lead in the world.

There are 11 mines across the country. The main ones are Broken Hill, Mt Isa, and McArthur River in the Northern Territory.

ANNABELLE HOMER, REPORTER Lead used to be used all over the place, pipes like this were made out of it, it was in house paint toy soldiers were lead at one stage it was used in pencils as well.

Petrol used to contain lead, but it was banned in 1986, that's why it's called unleaded. But you can still find lead under the bonnet of your car - in the battery!

The reason why lead isn't used as much now is because it can be bad for your health.

Small particles can be taken into the body by breathing in lead dust or swallowing water containing lead.

Studies suggest children under four are most at risk.

If you take in a lot of lead it can kill you like the birds in Esperance, but smaller amounts can also cause damage.

It can cause learning and development problems for children.

Luckily problems with lead aren't very common, but there can be problems where lead is mined or processed because that can create dust.

RUSSEL BOYD, JOURNALIST Two years ago Eric Riley had more than five times the recommended amount of lead in his blood.

ANNABELLE HOMER, JOURNALIST Eric lives in Broken Hill - it's mine is the largest lead producer in Australia.

This town has a lead problem, so does Mt Isa and the same goes for Port Pirie in South Australia, the home of the largest lead smelter in the world.

SIMON ROYAL, JOURNALIST This is the lifeblood of Port Pirie and for years controversy has raged about what lead is doing in the blood of Port Pirie's children.

ANNABELLE HOMER, JOURNALIST All of these places have problems with high lead levels in children.

It's acceptable to have some lead in our body but in Mt Isa, Port Pirie and Broken Hill some kids have blood lead levels, which are above the World Health standard.

Doctors are also worried those levels are rising in some places after they managed to reduce them over the past twenty years

Peoples lead levels are checked with a simple blood test if their levels are high they have to reduce dust around their homes and their workplaces or move.

Mining companies and the government are also trying to reduce lead dust.

Back in Esperance, lead shipments in the port have been stopped until the source of the bird deaths has been found.

But the one thing puzzling everyone is that the pigeons, which live right in the port itself, seem alive and well.

So is the port to blame? The mystery continues....

SMOKING BANS
Helen Gray, reporter

INTRO: Let's hope they find some answers... Now to smoking. We all know that it's bad, but it's not illegal, so people still have a right to puff. But should people have the right to tell smokers where they can and can't smoke? Helen has more.

HELEN GRAY, REPORTER: There were days that people could smoke in cinemas, on planes, in hospitals, at work - pretty much anywhere they liked.

But then things changed, researchers worked out that smoking isn't just bad for smokers; it's bad for other people as well.

Passive smoking means breathing in someone else's cigarette smoke, which can make you quite sick.

The chemicals in the smoke can cause cancer, heart disease and lung problems, like asthma.

So governments have begun banning smoking in a whole lot of places to protect people from passive smoking, and also help smokers themselves give up.

Each State has its own set of rules.

Tasmania was the first off the mark - it introduced a total ban on smoking indoors in public places. You can't light up in concert theatres, hotels, restaurants; anywhere there's a group of people.

Now some people want to take the bans further.

South Australia is the first State to ban adults smoking in cars when there are children with them.

If the adult does decide to light up with some under 16 sitting next to them they could be fined.

But smoking isn't just being banned indoors or inside cars, it's also being banned outdoors.

Councils like Mosman in Sydney say smoking is a no go in their parks, playgrounds, and on the beach.

So, for example, if one of your parents smoked while they were watching you play a game of football on the local oval they could get fined.

If some anti-smoking campaigners have their way, smoking would even be banned in streets and places like this - outdoor malls.

But smokers and even some non-smokers say it’s all going too fast, it’s time to slow down and take a breath.

VOX POP:
They have gone a bit too far. I mean you've got to see it from both points of view - just like people that are non-smokers, so it's good for them.

VOX POP:
I think the minority groups, like the wowsers and the do-gooders in the country have actually taken over - and who are they to tell me what I can do with my life.

They think the bans are going too far - and as long as a smoker is standing far enough away from other people, it should be OK to smoke in outdoor places.

Smokers feel they can't do things they would normally do because of the bans.

There's no doubt these kinds of arguments will continue, but one thing is certain, the push is on to get people to butt out.

DIABETES
Sarah Martinelli, reporter


INTRO: There's been quite a lot in the news recently about a disease that affects about a million Australians and some don't even know they have it.
Another problem with diabetes is that there are two types and not many people understand the differences. So we asked Sarah to find out more.

SARAH MARTINELLI, REPORTER: Eliza is 14 years old. She likes her sport, and her pets. She also has Type 1 diabetes.

ELIZA: Well it's not too bad but I have to watch everything I eat and manage it. I can still play all the sports that I used to so it hasn't changed my life dramatically at all.

Type 1 diabetes is a disease that you are born with. There's nothing you can do to prevent it. It affects the way the body converts food to use for energy. Here's what is supposed to happen when you eat:

Your body takes a type of sugar called glucose from food.

That gets into your bloodstream. Your pancreas makes a hormone called insulin. Insulin helps the glucose get into the body's cells, and your body gets the energy it needs.

But if someone has diabetes, their body either can't make insulin or the insulin doesn't work in their body like it should. The glucose can't get into the cells normally, so the blood sugar level gets too high. Lots of sugar in the blood makes people sick if they don't get treatment.

ELIZA: When my blood sugar level is high I feel quite drowsy and quite tired and normally very thirsty.

Solution: Insulin injections. It's not a cure, but it does help the glucose get into the cells. But Eliza has a special pump that does the work for her, so she doesn't have to give herself insulin injections.

The interesting thing about Type 1 diabetes, is that an increasing number of kids are being diagnosed with it. No one is sure why.

Emma has type two diabetes. She has to keep active with lots of exercise and watch what she eats, to keep her blood sugar levels under control.

EMMA: I'm not allowed to have soft drink and stuff with a lot of sugar like lollies biscuits and cakes pretty much anything with too much sugar.

The good news is that unlike Type 1 diabetes, Type 2 can be prevented, by eating healthy food with not too much sugar or fat, and with regular exercise. But it doesn't seem like many of us do that, because almost 1500 Australians are diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes every week, and the number is increasing. Experts say our lifestyles need to change if we want to cut the number of people developing the disease.

But don't worry; even if you do develop diabetes, you can learn to live with it.

EMMA: the worst thing for me is having to prick my finger every morning, it's to make sure that I can check what my sugar is. But I know it's good for me so that makes it easier.

ASTHMA
Catherine Ellis, reporter

INTRO: Another health problem that concerns lots of young people is Asthma and experts are worried that the effects of climate change might make the problem even trickier to manage. Catherine found out how some schools are becoming 'asthma-friendly'.

CATHERINE ELLIS, REPORTER: Most of us know at least one friend or family member who suffers from asthma.... it's very common... in fact 2.2 million people in Australia have asthma.

One in every six Aussie kids has it and more boys get it than girls. But exactly why some people get it and others don't remains a mystery.

Katie and her brother Chris have both had Asthma since they were babies.

KATIE: once I couldn't breathe after I had a long run and that was a bit of a scary time.

CHRIS: I have to take a puffer each morning and night and if I don't I get really wheezy.

So what is Asthma?

Well people with asthma have sensitive airways in their lungs and when they're exposed to certain triggers those airways tighten which can make it hard to breathe. That can start coughing and wheezing and some people even end up in hospital.

So what are the 'triggers' that cause asthma?

Well cigarette smoke is a common nasty one, the hair on our pets is another -pollen, dust, the flu, mould, chemicals, perfume, exercise, even some medications we take when we're sick such as aspirin can cause asthma.

But Environmental Health scientists are worried that there'll be more of these 'trigger factors' around in the future because of climate change. They predict there'll be more pollen, smoke and dust in the air, which would lead to a lot more wheezing and sneezing!

At this stage there's no cure for asthma but it can be easily managed and you can certainly have a lot of fun and live a very active life.

There are plenty of medications around to treat asthma and they work by widening the airways to make breathing easy again. There are also things you can do around the home to make life easier.

At Katie and Chris's house their mum Sue vacuums regularly to keep the dust away and they don't have carpets. And while pet hair can cause asthma.. it certainly doesn't mean you can't have any pets.

CATHERINE: Now you guys have lots of pets.

KATIE: Yep we actually have 15.

CATHERINE: 15?

KATIE: Yep we've got lots... we've got cats, a dog, guinea pigs, rabbits, fish..

CATHERINE: Oh my goodness... and do you get allergic to them?

KATIE: a bit but not really. We have the right kind of animals...we have shorthaired ones so we don't get allergic.

Katie and Chris also belong to an Asthma Friendly School.... what's that you ask?

That means their school is set up to make life easy for kids with asthma .

All the teachers know all about asthma and how to treat it.
The school has spare puffers and other medications available for emergency use and it also has a plan for managing asthma during school sporting activities, excursions and camps. This is very helpful for Katie and Chris because they love school sport and cross country running.

Katie is also in the school choir and her asthma certainly doesn't affect her voice...she wants to be a singer when she grows up... just like her idols the Veronicas.