>> welcome to "teen kids news." i'm livia. here's our top story for this week. >> this report is brought to you by a grant from the connecticut tobacco and health trust fund. >> e-cigarettes. a lot of teens may think they're an okay alternative to regular

cigarettes, but scott reports they're not. >> just so we're all on the same page, what are e-cigarettes? >> i believe e-cigarettes are electronic cigarettes. >> correct. sometimes referred to as a vape pen, there are three parts to an e-cigarette. the vaporizer -- that's a tiny heating device. there's the battery -- it powers the heating device. and then there's the cartridge. this holds the liquid that is heated, giving off a vapor that looks like smoke. >> an e-cigarette is like a cleaner version of a cigarette. i think it's with water vapor. >> actually, it's not. many experts believe the vapor contains dangerous chemicals including propylene glycol which is often used in antifreeze put in cars. >> right now, the marketplace for e-cigarettes is really the wild, wild west. we don't know what's in the vapor. we don't know what the risks of the vapor are. >> mitch zeller works for the federal government. he says that what we do know is that e-cigarettes contain nicotine.

>> no young person should be starting to use any of these products. nicotine is addictive. and nicotine can have adverse effects on brain development and the adolescent brain is still developing. our brains are not fully formed until we're in our 20s. >> i think e-cigarettes are worse for teenagers than regular cigarettes because e-cigarettes give yse sense of security. you tend to think, "oh, they're safer. it's just the nicotine and not all those other chemicals." but really, the nicotine is what hooks you, what gets you addicted to smoking. >> what no doubt confuses many teens is that they hear that adults use e-cigarettes as a supposedly healthier alternative to smoking. >> and i think it's meant as a way for people to quit smoking so it's not as addictive as real cigarettes. >> and that is how the tobacco companies are starting to market e-cigarettes, as a way to get you to stop smoking. >> but as we've heard, e-cigarettes still have nicotine, so don't make the mistake of believing they're safe. >> and we are concerned because e-cigarette usage

amongst middle-school and high-school-age kids is going up, and going up dramatically. >> i think teens smoke e-cigarettes rather than regular cigarettes, well, for a couple of reasons. maybe because they think they're safer, one. and the way they're advertised you know what i'm saying, they might look cooler. >> probably from peer pressure just to look cool. >> i just think people, like see other people doing it, and that's why they do them so much. >> adding to the attraction is the fact that e-cigarettes can come in different flavors. for example, they can be made to taste like fruit or even candy. >> i think e-cigarettes come in different flavors to appeal to more people than just normal cigarettes do. >> i guess to be more appealing to teens. to make them think that, "oh yay, this is something new to try." >> by the way, if you already smoke, changing to vaping is not the best way to quit. >> e-cigarettes should not be used as a method to stop smoking. there are other, better ways that can be used under a doctor's care to help curb the smoking craving. >> there's a lot we still don't know about e-cigarettes, and

that's why the government wants to control their sale just like the sale of regular cigarettes is controlled. but one thing is for sure -- e-cigarettes are no match for a healthy lifestyle. and if you do smoke and you want to quit, you can call 1-800-quit-now. they even have a special program just for teens. >> when we return, i'll show you why wikipedia may be a more reliable source than our teachers think. "teen kids news" will be right back.

>> the internet is a terrific tool, especially for schoolwork. but can you trust that the information you're finding is accurate? christina looks at how one popular but controversial website works. [ keys clacking ] >> like most teens, roman comes home after school and heads straight for his computer. but unlike most teens, roman isn't checking out facebook or e-mail. his first stop online is wikipedia, the website where you can find information on just about anything.

>> i believe i was about 13 or 14 years old when i first began editing wikipedia. >> that's right -- roman is a contributor to wikipedia, and that's what's special about the website -- it depends on volunteers to add or edit material. >> i first started out by editing a few articles randomly, making a few grammatical adjustments, maybe a spelling change here or there. >> the word wikipedia is a blend of two other words. a wiki is a website where anyone can add or edit content, and "pedia" comes from encyclopedia. that's why wikipedia calls itself "the free encyclopedia anyone can edit." >> you've heard of h.g. wells, the great science-fiction author, he actually had an idea back in the '30s called the world brain, which was a worldwide encyclopedia organization whose whole purpose was to collect and classify and sort the information of the world. and wikipedia is sort of a realization of that on a volunteer, internet-distributed basis.

>> richard knipel leads the new york chapter of wikipedia editors. worldwide, there are nearly 100,000 editors who contribute to the site. and that brings up the controversy around wikipedia. traditional reference works use experts who are usually paid to contribute and edit content. but wikipedia depends on volunteers, and these can be ordinary people, even kids. so does that make it more likely that wikipedia will have wrong information? >> everything is based on other things that have been published. that have been published in what we call reliable sources. >> just like in any research paper you're writing, in any high-school research paper, you have to include a reference to the source that you have of the information that you're contributing. >> those sources are listed in the bibliography at the end of every article. in addition, the site uses computers to monitor each new edit. in fact, wikipedia says most errors are corrected within five seconds.

>> wikipedia is generally reliable, but you have to keep in mind that there are points at which people can mess up. >> that's why many teachers don't let their students cite wikipedia as a source for research papers. >> i know when i do research papers, i'm not allowed to because it has all different resources and stuff. so, like, it's a bunch of different people, and it's not like, a real source, i guess. that's what my teachers say. >> it's not legit. you can't really use it. anyone can go on and put an article on wikipedia. >> but listen to this -- according to a study published in the respected magazine nature wikipedia was almost as accurate as the prestigious encyclopedia britannica. of course, we're not saying to disregard your teachers. but if you are allowed to use wikipedia, here's an important tip. >> the idea is that, use it as a first point of research, and always look at the article's logs and everything before you actually trust the information. which is what most people don't do. >> if you're interested in helping to improve wikipedia

you might want to join the team. >> just get your hands dirty. start fixing spelling. start fixing grammar everywhere you see a mistake. there's a big "edit" button on the top of every page, and just click it and go for it. >> by the way, using volunteer contributors is not really new. in the late 1800s, thousands of volunteers contributed to a similar project -- the creation of the oxford english dictionary. and look how well that turned out. >> i'll tell you how this position could help you do better on tests. "teen kids news" will be right back.

>> few of us love taking tests. but some of us actually dread test taking so much, our stress causes us to do less well than we should. helping to overcome that test anxiety is the subject of today's "yoga & you" report. here's emily.

>> so, brenda, how can yoga help me overcome the stress i face before taking a big test? >> when you have stress from a test, test anxiety, you can lose your concentration and your focus. so to overcome that, you can do a pose such as this. you step forward. >> okay. >> and then roll the shoulders back. open the chest. open those arms up. take a deep breath. and exhale. and bring those hands back together. >> very nice. >> another thing that happens when you have test anxiety is you feel ungrounded. so another great pose to do is downward-facing dog. so, we come down onto the mat, hands forward. walk those feet back a little bit. this builds strength as well as calms the mind because it's an inversion, so it's a very calming effect because the heart

is above the head. and then we can come on down. >> so, this was downward dog. and what was the first one called? >> it's a variation of the warrior one position. >> all right. very nice. well, i feel really good, and i'm definitely ready to tackle those tests. [ laughs ] thank you so much, brenda. >> you're welcome. >> with "yoga & you," i'm emily. [ bat clunks, crowd cheers ] ever wonder how the seventh-inning stretch came about? well, former president william howard taft was a very big baseball fan. one time when he was at a game he stood up in the middle of the seventh inning, and everyone around his stood up in respect. and the rest is history. i'm matt for "teen kids news." >> this week's driving tip is brought to you by the national road safety foundation. [ school bell rings ] >> all right, guys!

so guess what? the dance is this saturday. >> are you going? >> yes. let's all go together. >> oh, that sounds awesome! [ engine turns over ] >> okay, so you know the theme tonight... >> what happened? >> ...is all school spirit. everything spirit -- so red, black... >> rachel. hey, rache! [ heart beating ] >> oh, yeah, face paint! rachel, you'll get face paint. >> [ echoing ] rachel... >> [ echoing ] rachel... >> [ echoing ] rachel... [ heart beating ]

n't focus. i was always interrupting my t eammates. earlier in my career my coach approached me. he had some questions for me and, you know, first question was, do i ever have, you know, growing up did i have focus problems? and i said, "yes, coach, you know i obviously suffered from adhd as a kid." i felt like i've outgrown it. and he said, "i think that you know sometimes i don't feel like you're focused." so the next day i went and saw a doctor. i had no reason to be embarrassed,

no reason to be, you know, ashamed of having adhd. you know, that's why i'm here telling my story. if you were diagnosed with adhd as a kid you might still have it. find out more. take a quiz at ownitquiz.com to help recognize the symptoms like inattention, impulsivity, hyperactivity, then talk with your doctor. seek help. don't be afraid. it 's your adhd. own it. >> it's something we do every day. in fact, we're supposed to do it a number of times a day. and yet many of us just don't do it right.

so we assigned jacelyn to brush up on the correct way to use a toothbrush. >> okay, america. how do you brush your teeth? >> you brush your teeth in circles. >> i, like, put the toothbrush in my mouth, and i just scrub for about five minutes. and then i rinse, and then i floss. >> well, i put toothpaste on my toothbrush, and i just scrub in my mouth. >> so, what's the correct technique? we'll find out from an expert. dr. gerry curatola has literally written the book on dental care. he's from the college of dentistry at new york university. hi. >> hi. thanks for having me. >> our pleasure. so, tell us, what is the best way to brush teeth? >> well, brushing is simply not a scrubbing motion. we're not scrubbing back and forth. what we're really doing is sweeping. it's a sweeping motion. hold your toothbrush at a 45-degree angle, move back and forth gently, and sweep down. start with the back and the

outside of the front, upper right, and upper left sides. don't forget the tops. and on the inside, the same thing. it's a gentle motion. remember, you're not scrubbing the floor. you're sweeping. and so, at a 45-degree angle, go all the way around. don't forget those areas on the inside of your teeth. and if you brush on your palate, it may tickle a little bit. but if you do it frequently, that sensation will go away. >> so, is it better to scrub really, really hard to get your teeth as clean as possible? >> scrubbing really hard can actually do damage. you can wear the enamel of your teeth, and there are gum fibers that connect where the tooth meets the gum, and those can cause some gum recession. so never, ever brush too hard back and forth at the gum line. what you really want to do is go gently toward the gum at a 45-degree angle and sweep down.

>> so, how long should you brush? >> oh, that's the magic question. most people don't brush long enough. we really recommend -- the best way to make sure you're brushing long enough is to get a little two-minute egg timer. two minutes is the right time. >> and how many times a day should we brush? >> we recommend you brush morning and night. if you have a sticky, sugary meal, it's good to brush after a meal like that. but morning and night is sufficient. >> what about those brushes that come with motors? are those any good? >> well, those help if you have trouble handling a toothbrush in your mouth. they can help with people who have special needs, or those who don't enjoy brushing themselves manually alone. so, they can be helpful. >> i always knew that sweets like chocolate were bad for our teeth, but i was surprised to learn that some healthy snacks like raisins, can be even worse. >> raisins, even though it's a natural, dried fruit, are loaded with sugar. and they're sticky, and they get

into crevices in the teeth and can actually cause more cavities than a piece of dark chocolate. as a matter of fact, we've recently discovered that there are enzymes in dark chocolate that has low sugar that can actually prevent cavities. >> wow. chocolate that can prevent cavities? love it. doc, thank you so much for joining us today. >> you're welcome. thanks again. >> a wise man had this clever saying about good dental care -- "if you're true to your teeth, they'll never be false to you." words to live by. >> coming up, one of the hottest trends in the kitchen is the mini pie. i'll tell you about that when "teen kids news" returns.

selling cookies is about... -the big picture. you have to have a goal. -a big goal. something you and your team... -want to do in the world. we choose... -where the money goes. a trip. -an adventure. helping people out. -helping a lot of people out. something never been... -done before. we have to decide. -make a plan. we all... -have to agree. it's not always easy. and about the money? -we are responsible for it. handling it... -managing it... tracking it... -doing great things with it. this is business. -girl business. girl business. -the biggest... girl-run business... -in the world. it's kind of amazing. girl scouts are everywhere. -over 2 million of us. my mom is one. -my little sister is one. my cousin michelle is one. -maybe you're one. girl scouts should totally run the world.

-i think we already do. i'm not surprised. -are you surprised? we're not surprised. did you think this was just about cookies? >> they say that good things often come in small packages. as katie reports, that's also true when it comes to baking. >> and when it comes to pies big or small, elizabeth jean is an expert. so, what makes mini pies so

popular? >> well, katie, what's great about mini pies, they're fast, fun, and easy. they're that perfect grab-and-go snack for lunch or after school. so, that's why they're really popular. they're just the perfect size. so, what we're gonna do is, i went to the store and i got everything i needed. i got a rolled crust. so we're gonna let you go ahead and unroll that. >> okay. >> and i also have, like, about a four-inch diameter cup, okay? and so we're going to cut out little mini circles with these. so just line it up and then push it down. and then, if you do that, i'll pick it up and place it. might want to push down a little harder. and we're just gonna put it right in the center of our pan and then just push down. all the way around. oh, perfect. keep going. you're doing a great job. yeah, they fit perfectly. you don't have to worry about crimping. this is just kind of a great introduction to pie making.

>> but they still taste like big pies. >> you bet. that's great. okay. here we go. perfect. >> so, we're gonna do six? >> we're gonna make six. >> okay. and you can just do these in a normal cupcake tin, right? >> right. exactly. a little muffin/cupcake tin. perfect. now, you have two options here. one is we can kind of re-gather this and roll it and cut strips, and we can make like a nice lattice top. >> okay. >> or we can do an apple crisp. and we're gonna do the apple crisp, okay? so let's get rid of this. and i'll show you how to do that. all right. so, what we have here is a mixture of brown sugar and flour, two to one. and we melted some butter. all right, so we're gonna make our crisp topping. so, we're just gonna pour this in, and then just give it a whirl. >> what do people like more than sugar and butter? >> [ chuckles ]

>> it smells really good. >> okay. that looks pretty good. all right. we're just gonna set this aside, okay, 'cause this is what we're gonna use in just a few minutes. okay, so, katie, what we did is, we peeled two apples, all right? and so, because mini pies don't take a long time to bake, we want to make sure that our apples are soft. so we put them in the microwave for five minutes. and we've already done that, so now we're gonna add our spices. >> okay. >> all right. so, now we're gonna add 3 tablespoons of sugar. perfect. and we're gonna add 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon. and then just a pinch of nutmeg. >> a pinch. >> there you go. all right. and we're just gonna stir that up. >> oh, so they're soft from

being in the microwave. >> right. >> okay. >> okay, that's perfect. so, now that we've mixed all our spices, we're gonna fill our mini pies. >> okay. >> all right? so, here's a spoon. and just fill it right up to the top. >> okay. >> and i'll help you so we can kind of get this done quickly. you know, this is another great introduction to the art of pie baking. they're just really manageable they're easy to make. >> and they taste as good as regular pies. >> exactly. you know, after these are made you can also wrap them and just stick them in the freezer, and they'll keep in the freezer for about four months. >> ohh. that's useful. >> so, that's perfect, katie. >> prepare them in advance. >> yeah. all right. that looks great. all right. so, now we're gonna take our crumb topping, and we're going to just stick it right on top.

so, we're going to -- this can get a little messy, but don't worry, okay? 'cause we can just -- we'll be off to the side, so you don't even have to worry. >> okay. >> you know. there you go. so, we can just go ahead and finish this. i'll give you that. i'll get another spoon to help you. >> how much do you want to do? >> yeah, we'll just cover it pretty generously. 'cause i think this is one of the best parts of it, the crumb topping. >> tasty. >> perfect. wonderful. >> just do the last one, here, and i think we're good. >> that looks great. all right. so, now we're going to just stick this in a 425-degree oven for 15 minutes, okay? [ oven beeping ]

mmm! do these smell delicious. i'm gonna shut this, put this down. >> mmm. they look perfect. >> and voilà. that did not take long at all. they're real hot, but i'm going to take one out so you can see how easy they are to get out. you just want to run a knife around the edge. and then it will just pop out. so, i would really kind of let these cool before i do this, but just to kind of give you an idea. there you have it, my dear. >> oooh. >> there you go. >> so, you can make pies from scratch or from a kit like this one. elizabeth jean's homemade pies made easy. and not just easy, but delicious. for "teen kids news," i'm katie. mmm! >> we'll see you next time on "teen kids news." thanks for watching. have a great week.

>> here's a shout-out to pr newswire for including "teen kids news" on their big screen in times square new york city.

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