dr. richard besser investigating an outrage in america, the exorbitant cost of cancer drugs, is it righthat the rich can afford them but many other people cannot? a question of life and death ahead. we're back in two minutes. bob will retire when he's 153, which would be fine if bob were a vampire. but he's not. ♪ he's an architect with two kids and a mortgage. luckily, he found someone who gave him a fresh perspective on his portfolio. and with some planning and effort, hopefully bob can retire at a more appropriate age. it's not rocket science. it's just common sense. from td ameritrade. it's just common sense. is there a lot of worry building up around a daily problem? well ladies, now there's big news in controlling your overactive bladder symptoms. thinking less about them with new oxytrol for women. it's a patch. the first and only over the counter treatment for overactive bladder. it's good to know how to put the control back in your go. new oxytrol for women. now over the counter in the feminine care aisle. visit oxytrolforwomen.com to learn more. [ male announcer ] campbell's ho

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dr. richard besser. >> reporter: the ads make a splash. crashing waterfalls, crystal clear lakes.for you, tastes better. but have you ever asked yourself is it really? to find out, we set up the real answers water challenge in central park, pitting new york h2o against a leading bottled brand. a nonscientific throwdown about taste. >> abc news water challenge. step right up. >> they didn't know what they were drinking but they knew what they thought. >> tell me if you prefer the taste of a or b. >> b. >> b. >> what do you like about a? >> it feels cleaner. >> reporter: why do you like b more? >> fresher. >> b. >> reporter: the results were mixed. but now the more serious question, do you think that bottled water is healthier for you? environmental advocate mae wu says think again. >> we've done studies that have shown that bottled water is no more safe or clean than regular tap water. >> there is more testing of bottled water than tap water. >> actually there is more testing of tap water than bottled water. >> reporter: that's right. by federal rule, they test tap water for 100 co

dr. richard besser of abc, says the risk is low, however, because the flight was so short. the cdc says last night, there was no indication that any passenger was infectious. >>> the white house says healthcare.gov is now working for the majority of the people that log on. officials say the site is working more than 90% of the time, up from 40% when it began. the weekend relaunch was kept low-key so a flood of people didn't crash the system again. >> people need an easy experience. it hasn't been easy. >> the good thing about when you're down is that you got to where to go but up. >> officials are urging consumers to reach out and call the call center for advanced help. >>> the obama administration is urging north korea to free an elderly american tourist. after he appeared in a new video. 85-year-old merrill newman is seen confessing to war crimes, reading from an awkwardly phrased text. it's the first time he was seen since being detained five weeks ago when he was pulled off a plane with no explanation. >> we just hope whatever that misunderstanding is will be resolved.

dr. richard besser. >> reporter: it is a warning shot -- to makers of antibacterial soap who claim theirducts kill more germs. the government now saying they're going to have to prove the soap actually prevents more infections. most studies say both antibacterial and regular soap work equally well at killing germs right away. watch our unscientific test at the university of maryland. we covered some hands in a brew of thousands of e.coli bacteria. the hands were then washed with regular soap and antibacterial soap. the antibacterial soap erased 75% of the bacteria. the regular soap? 75% as well. no immediate difference. the fda is concerned. could antibacterial soaps contribute to outside resistance. they are perplexed that the fda would suggest that antibiotic soaps are not beneficial. >> there is a big move by the fda. there are health and environmental groups calling for this for quite some time. it may mark the beginning of the end. >> when will we know the ultimate answer, rich? >> assuming the regulation is approved and there are 180 days from that, the companies are going to have

dr. richard besser. >> assuming the regulation is approved and there's 180 days for that, the companies havefrom today to make their case. if they can't do that, they're going to have to either change their product or change the label. but in the meantime, remember, washing with soap and water for a full 20 seconds is always the best way to go. >> the soapmakers argue that consumers should be allowed to choose which product they prefer. >>> some outrage growing this morning about this story. a high school student in georgia says he's being unfairly punished, simply for showing affection. surveillance video showing sam mcnair put his arms around a teacher. that teacher alleges that he kissed her on the neck and cheek. mcnair disputes that. but it's gotten him a one-year suspension for sexual harassment. >> i have five months left of my senior year. i don't see why they would take that away from me. >> he is a senior. he plays football. he was getting ready for lacrosse season. and you're stripping him of an opportunity to get a full scholarship for athletics for college. >> the school distric

dr. richard besser with more on all of this for us and what it means. >> reporter: it's the danger sittingt there in your medicine cabinet. drug overdoses, largely fueled by the wild rise in prescription painkillers are now killing more americans per year than car accidents on our highways. accidental overdoses from prescription painkillers have quadrupled in just a decade. one reason, doctors are prescribing more and more percocet, vicodin, oxycontin and we can't seem to stop taking them. in fact, almost all of abused pain meds start as legitimate prescriptions for real pain. then a growing number of addicts buy leftover pills or just take them from friends' medicine cabinets. today's medical group is the latest calling for tougher rules and some are coming. expect to see fewer pills per prescription, and a mandatory visit to the doctor to get a renewal and no more prescriptions over the phone. >> this is a problem because we never throw pills away. here's what you do. go to your medicine cabinet and get rid of pain medicines or sleeping pills that you no longer use. you can't just throw

dr. richard besser on the four students infected at the university of california in santa barbara. >> reporter: aaron loy, a healthy freshman lacrosse player, was rushed to the hospital by his roommates. diagnosed with a strain of meningitis. the disease attacks blood vessels. one in ten die and 20 percent of those who survive can lose limbs because the blood can't circulate. that's what happened to aaron. he lost both legs below the knee. the health department has distributed antibiotics to 500 students and yesterday asked ucsb kids to back off from frat parties and social events. meningitis is spread by close contact, kissing, sharing drinks or food, sneezing coughing or smoking. that's why college kids are vulnerable. >> it's kind of scary because there is always that constant fear. >> reporter: this after 8 students in princeton, new jersey were diagnosed with the same rare meningitis, type b, earlier this year. >> are you worried about the meningitis that's going around? >> yes, getting calls from your p parents around relatives asking about what's going on. >> reporter: princeton student

dr. richard besser tonight. how big of a deal is this? >> this is a big deal. lung cancer is still the number one cancer killer of men and women. now there is enough evidence that annual ct scans save lives. >> when i read this today, ct scans, i always thought they were dangerous. >> they are. you're talking about radiation. this is limited to the heaviest smokers. people who are 55 and over, smoked a pack a day for at least 30 years, even if you have quit in the past 15 years this is for you. david, tomorrow is new year's eve. this is the time for all smokers to improve their health and say i'm going to quit, get some help and get it done. >> a ct scan doesn't do that for you. >> that's right. >> rich, thank you. >>> now to the race car legend in critical condition tonight. michael schumacher in a coma after an accident on the ski slopes. tonight we're learning he was conscious after the accident. now a warning about that window of time after a skiing fall when a loved one might be worse off than anyone suspects. here now abc's clayton sandell. >> reporter: f

dr. richard besser, what a great story. we know that robbie has a few small ticks now.n the very severe side of tourettes. most people his age, the ticks have gone away or are controlled by medication. >> is this going to apply to others, as well? >> people with severe tourettes, it offers them hopes. it's experimental. but some insurance is covering it. >> we have our lives back. >> thanks, rich. >>> speaking of breakouts, 2013 has been a breakout year for macklemore & ryan lewis, rocking central park. and now, acclaims and awards everywhere they went. dan harris went to the dynamic duo about their amazing year in the spotlight. >> reporter: macklemore & ryan lewis had a wild run in 2013. their record sold more than 1 million copies. the videos for "thrift shop" and "can't hold us," had a combined 7 million views. ♪ give you thank you i'm so damn grateful ♪ >> reporter: they're nominated for seven grammys. they just wrapped up a triumphant tour. and tonight, they'll play new year's rockin' eve. but right now, as they transition away from the screaming crowds and back t

dr. richard besser. >> reporter: aaron hoy was rushed to the hospital by roommates, diagnosed with a strainthe disease attacks blood vessels. one in ten die and 20% of those who survive can lose limbs because the blood can't circulate. that's what happened to aaron. he lost both legs below the knee. the santa barbara health department distributed antibiotics to 500 students and yesterday asked ucsd kids to back off from frat parties and social events. meningitis is spread from close contact -- kissing, sharing drinks and food, smoking, sneezing and coughing. that's why college kids are vulnerable. >> that's why it is scary. always constant fear. >> reporter: this after eight students in princeton, new jersey, were diagnosed with the same meningitis, type b, earlier this year. are you worried about getting meningitis going around? >> yeah. calls from parents asking what is going on. >> reporter: princeton students are getting a european vaccine not approved by in the u.s. by a essential arrangement with the usda. >> the cdc says the strains at the universities are different. >> oh. that's ev

dr. richard besser says that the risk of an infection among the passengers is low because the flight was so short. >>> ntsb investigators have reached the scene of a fatal plane crash in a remote area of alaska. four people died and six were hurt in an accident in st. mary's. pilot and a baby were among the victims. the baby's mother walked a mile in the snow to get help. >>> investigators are looking in to the fiery crash that killed "fast & furious" star paul walker say it could be some time before they know how fast the car was going before it slammed in to a pole near los angeles. he was killed with a friend after a charity event held by walker on saturday. minutes after they took a porsche out for a spin. friends of the event rushed but it was too late. >> we tried. we went through fire extinguishers. >> walker who was 40 started as a child actor. he was on a break from filming "fast & furious" at the time of the crash. >>> freezing rain blamed for turning central massachusetts roads in to sheets of ice. it sent dozens of people to the hospital. the worst case was an enormous chain-

dr. richard besser, abc news, washington. >> interesting, right?ll do? >> yes. >> what kind of world are we living in -- >> right. and it might actually cause resistance to antibiotics and may scramble hormones in children. >> that is scary because a lot of parents, you are out and don't have time to stop and wash hands wherever you go. your kids touch everything and are into everything. a little anti-bacterial rub you think is okay. i guess not. >> basically if you wash with hot water and the long wash with the soap you are good. >> oh, yeah. >>> coming up, great last-minute gifts for the tech lover on your list. >> our giz wiz is here with his favorite inexpensive gadgets perfect for stocking stuffers. you are watching "world news now." >> announcer: "world news now" continues after this from our abc stations. you are watching "world news now." nfc, afc, offensive lineman, defensive tackles, quarterbacks and cornerbacks are all living united. to ensure the academic success of millions of kids in our communities. all the way to graduation day. but

dr. richard besser with a closer look at the science, safety and possible solutions. >> steelers backingaying zone. what a hit! >> reporter: football fans live for brutal blows. look at james harrison. >> and a very serious hit james harrison lays out. >> reporter: morgan cox. and that one was a knockout. literally. >> and let's hope that chris was okay. >> reporter: what thrills the fans may be what dooms the sport. are we looking at the end of football? memory loss, depression and dementia. former players like jimmy mcmahon, are saying what's good for football in its current form is lethal for the brain. damaged pros compare cte to degenerative brain disease. on espn radio, quarterback brett favre said that he's losing his family. >> it's shocking to me that i couldn't remember my daughter playing youth soccer. >> reporter: a former new york giant said that he complicated suicide. >> i was so depressed. accelerating and driving through the guardrail and just going over. >> reporter: it turns out the future of football may rest on this woman, she's a walking contradiction. she's a die-h

dr. richard besser has the story. >> reporter: this morning, health officials are working to contain an outbreakthe campus of u.c. santa barbara. four students coming down with a potentially deadly form of the disease meningitis. one student with a case so bad, he needed his legs amputated. >> i hope he's doing well. it's kind of scary because there's that constant fear. >> reporter: students being told to stay away from parties and social events, to keep the outbreaks from spreading. >> rule of thumb, don't share bottles. try to avoid kissing new girls. like -- things like that. just be safe. >> reporter: this, after eight students at princeton, in new jersey, were diagnosed with the same type of meningitis earlier this year. are you worried about the meningitis that's going around? >> yeah. just like getting calls from your parents and relatives, asking about what's going on. it's like, a little bit scary. >> reporter: those infected may feel like they have the flu. fever, headache, body pains. then comes the tell-tale symp m symptom. a stiff neck. without antibiotic treatment, 10% may die. up

dr. richard besser is here to tell us about it. >> this is big. the first time, the fda is taking a move against the companies that make anti-bacterial soaps. and the reason for that is there's concern about safety, as well as whether they work. the companies say they've been able to show they killed germs. the fda wants them to show now that they also keep us healthier. and the reason for that is there is concern that some of the chemicals in these products can promote resistant infection and act like hormones in our body. >> do the opposite of what we're hoping for. do we use them? or do we not? >> i've never been a fan of anti-bacterial soap. regular soap and water, you use it properly, it will keep you very safe. these soaps don't kill viruses. that's what we're really concerned about. i reached out to the companies. they say, we're confused about this. we've been presenting data to fda for years. and we think consumers should have them. >> you said so important for all of us to know. i want to point out. this does not involve hand sanitizers