CONDOM MACHINES in
secondary schools will en-
courage the spread of AIDS
and other venereal diseases,
increase the number of
teenage pregnancies and
abortions and lead to emo-
tional grief for many young
people, a majority of
speakers told a_ public

meeting of the West Van-
couver District 45 School
Board Monday night.

By Patrick Raynard
Contributing Writer

But a vocal minority ot
presenters also told trustees
that many teenagers are al-
ready sexually active at an

Speakers against the
installation of machines
in West Van high schools

© Peter Krahn, the first to speak
against the machines, told trustees
that the model for human rela-
tions in our society is rooted in
the institution of the family, and
that the public school system
should reaffirm those values.

“Our children are valuable. We
believe that the ethical values that
have sustained our culture for
centuries should be promoted in
the schools. Our stand is to pro-

Schoci Board Chairman Jean
Ferguson... told the meeting
the board will vote on the
issue April 8.

mote abstinence and responsibili-
t aa
. John Yeatman, a parent of
two daughters at Sentinel Second-
ary School, said: ‘‘In the schools
we are saying ‘no’ to drinking and
driving, ‘no’ to smoking and ‘no’
to drugs, so the schools should
also say ‘no’ to teenage sex.
“Abstinence of sexual contact is
the only effective method of
avoiding AIDS, and we should
investigate the abstinence pro-
grams being taught successfully in
the United States.”’
* Jn an emotional presentation

that drew the loudest applause of
the evening, Sentinel graduate
Natalie Hudson told the gathering
that sexuality is a good and
beautiful gift when shared in the
context of matrimony, but that
condoms in schools would reduce
sex to a “‘sad and lonely’’ experi-
ence that would leave many
teenagers “‘irreparably damaged”’
for the rest of their lives.

Hudson’s sister, Shastine, said
that condoms in public schools
would split many families because
schools would be giving a message
completely opposed to the
teachings of most North Shore
parents.

She added that, given the
statistics on the failure rate of
condoms, ‘‘fully 30 per cent of
users could become pregnant or
catch fatal diseases.’’

e Also addressing the family
issue, Helen Fawcus told the
meeting that the installation of
condom machines would violate
multicultural policies, given that
most religions and ethnic com-
munities “do not condone pre-
marita! sex." .

e Barbara Ejifler underscored
Fawcus’ point, telling trustees that
“this is a moral issue and we are
all moral. All cultures advocate
abstaining from sex before mar-
riage — it’s only in Western socie-
ty that abortion and STDs (sex-
ually-transmitted diseases) are an
issue.’’

e@ Mel Bryan, director of Focus
on the Family, reminded the
meeting that medical officers who
advocate the use of condoms may
not necessarily be correct in their
advice.

**They do make errors,’’ Bryan
said. ‘‘It was medical officers who
once recommended a drug called
thalidomide.’’

Local teen feature coming soon

TEENAGERS, TAKE note: the
North Shore News will soon be
launching Zap!, a special weekly
youth section that needs your in-
put.

Zap! will feature local teens,
what they like, what they think
and what they do. It will spotlight
an athlete of the week, provide a
showcase for students’ artworks
and articles and keep readers in-
formed about the pop entertain-
ment scene.

Zap! will also include a special
“Talkback’’ feature in which high
school students share their an-
swers to a weekly question by call-
ing the exclusive Zap! phone line
(980-KIDS). The results of each
week’s survey will be published in
the subsequent week’s Zap! sec-
tion.

The first issue we want your
feedback on is one you've heard a
lot about: condoms in school
washroonis.

Talkba:k wants your opinion:
Should condoms be made avail-
able in high schools?

Let us know how you feel —
‘tyes’? or ‘‘no.*’ Call 980-KIDS
and give us your opinion, as well
as your name, school and phone
number.

Then watch for the first issue of
Zap! for the survey results.

Zap! will be launched early this
spring.

For advertising information,
call 980-0511. Editorial contribu-
tions can be submitted to the
News, ittention: Zap!, at 1139
Lonsdale Ave., North Vancouver,
V7M 2H4.

early age, regardless of
what their parents teach
them, and that making
condoms available to these
kids would help protect
them from the AIDS virus
and other undesired com-
plications.

Of the nine who spoke in
favor of installing condom

a
WEST VANCOUVER
SCHOOL BOARD

. fh Kids in West
Van are actively
involved in sex at
an ever earlier age.
I don’t want my
kid to have to pay
with his life. 99

— Community youth worker
‘Belinda Gearaty

664 Abstinence is
the only thing that
will turn young
people around.
Condoms are only
a second-best
solution. 99

— Kelly Robertson

Wednesday, March 27, 1991 — North Shore News - 3

Condom clash

mechines in high schools,
most also advocated in-
creased education of ‘‘safer
sex’’ in public schools.
District 45 School Board
chairman Jean Ferguson
said at the end of the
meeting that the board
would vote on the condom
machines issue at its regular

meeting on Monday, Aoril
8.

North Vancouver's
District 44 School Board
has scheduled a May 7
public meeting on the con-
dom issue. Written submis-
sions must be given to the
District 44 board by Aoril
19.

Speakers in support of the
installation of machines
in West Van high schools

Leading the charge in favor of
condom machines, communi-
ty youth worker Belinda Gearaty
said that, regardless of the values
that parents teach, ‘‘kids will suc-
cumb at some point to peer
pressure and temptations.

‘*Kids in West Van are actively
involved in sex at an ever earlier
age,’ Gearaty said, adding that
condoms were important because
“I don’t want my kid to have to
pay with his life.”’
© A West Vancouver Secondary
student, speaking on behalf of
Judy VanDisoeck, reported that
his informal survey had shown
that ‘‘students fel a need for
these niachines because condoms
prevent pregnancies and save lives.
If parents love their kids then they
should support this.’’

e A former nurs>, Lori Baker,
who said she had taken care of
AIDS patients in th: past, told the
trustees that they si:culdn’t ‘‘drag
(their) heels on this’’ because ‘‘our
kids are sexually «ctive, and if
they don’t use condc:ns, they will
die.”’

e Debbi Maryk said that
‘‘morality is one thing, but sex is
taking place and we cennot leave
our kids unprotected.”’

e Nurse Janie Robinson, whose
letters to both the West Van-
couver and North Vancouver
school boards last year touched
off the controversy, told the
meeting that teens are a high-risk
group because ‘‘only 14 per cent
of sexually active teens say they
use condoms every time they have
sex.””

* North Shore Health directer
Dr. Brian O'Connor told the
gathering that he respected the
opinions of those opposing the
condom machines, but that stu-
dents often ‘‘fall victim’’ to peer

pressures and that ‘‘condomis are
the best available protection for
those individuals freely chccsing a
behavior that may be risky to
themselves.”’

O'Connor reminded the board
that “50 per cent of our youth
have chosen this method of
behavior.’”’

But O’Connor also emphasized

North Shore Health Director Dr.
Brian O’Connor... the message
must be more than just con-
doms.

that ‘‘we must reinforce the value
of abstinence to our young peo-
ple. The message must be more
than just condom machines. We
can’t have one without the
other.”’

* A representative from AIDS
Vancouver also addressed the
meeting, agreeing with O’Con-
nor’s admission that ‘‘condoms do
fail.’”

He also agreed that abstinence
should be taught along with the
use of condoms. But, the AIDS
tS cpresentative said, ‘‘condoms are
the only form of safer sex we have
at present.’’

Police investigation sparked
by increase in cigarette
thefts in various Lower
Mainland municipalities

From page 4

two homes in Surrey and two
homes in Burnaby resulted in the
recovery of weapons and stolen
property.

Four men were each charged
Monday with robbery, two counts
of forcible confinement, theft over
$1,000, and possession of stolen
property over $1,000.

Charged are Tyler Burgess, 26,
and Steven Pauls, 25, both of
Burnaby, and Donald Davies, 25,
and David Raffle, 21, both of
Surrey.

A 26-year-old Vancouver man
faces a charge of accessory to a
robbery after the fact.

The arrests follow a two-week

police investigation of business
break-ins and cigarette theft in the
Lower Mainland.

The police operation included
North Vancouver, Coquitlam,
Burnaby and Surrey RCMP and
West Vancouver, New
Westminster and Delta police
departments. The policing agen-
cies operated under the direction
of the Coordinated Law En-
forcement Unit.

Police are facing an increase in
incidents of cigarette theft.

Said Fox, ‘‘lt’s a. significant
problem throughout the Lower
Mainland, As cigarette prices in-
crease, so do the profit margins to
people who steal them.’’

Index
Wi Budget Beaters ...... 63
@ Business............ 55
Wi Classified Ads ....... 68
MB Comics............. 61
@ Lifestyles ........... 57
@ North Shore Now....34
@ Dr. Ruth........... 88
WM Sports.............. 13
@ TV Listings......... 42

M What's Going On.... 59

Weather

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showers. Highs 12°C and
lows of 3°C.

Second Class Registration Number 3885