Misguided reasoning behind call for mandatory AIDS test WEEK AFTER week, there is an government has done, or an event of great importance. Well, this time, this section is going to focus on a statement by a public figure — that AIDS testing should be made mandatory. If AIDS testing were to become mandatory, either by government legislation or otherwise, it quite simply would be useless to test all individuals, not only because one’s positive-negative status can change overnight, but simply because the costs to the public to selectively or randomly test even a fraction of the population would be extremely high. The costs, according to Meg Mickling, RN, the foremost authority on sexual education in B.C., would be of “such a great - magitude that it would cost mich less to treat people who vere infected with the virus.’’ More serious is the way patients who test positive will be treated by society. Discrimination against them could ’ drive. them to ‘suicide, drugs or other dependencies. In fact, the whole issue of mandatory testing would be illegal Fitness: Can you spell couch potato? ARE KIDS turning into couch potatoes? Perhaps. According to a recent study by Cornell. University Medi- cal College in the U.S., two out of three kids fail to meet the minimum standard _ for physical fitness, even though nine out of 10 parents think their families are fit. In fact, many kids are physi- cally active for less than 15 minutes a day. Ken Waterman, executive direc- tor of the South Slope YMCA in Vancouver, says there are many reasons why kids are less active Youth Alliance THE FEDERAL Ministry of Environment has award- ed the Environmental Youth Alliance (EYA) the 1992 Environmental Achievement Award for most outstanding Environmental Non-Profit Organization. The award, presented by the Hon. Pauline Browse, Minister of State for the Environment, recognizes the aon-profit organization that has made the most outstanding contribution to the protection of Canada’s en- vironment in 1991-92. In ietter to the EYA, Prime Minister Brian Mulrorzy stated that the EYA has “‘contributed in a significant way to protecting, conserving and rehabilitating the environment.” The EYA is an organization run by youth for youth. lt was started in the fall of 1989 and has grown quickly to the largest youth by youth organization in Canada. By Taleeb Noormohamed ZAP! Writer and prosecutable under interna- tional human rights law, accord- ing to a recent report of the Brit- ish Medical Association. Under the United Nations European Convention on Human Rights, in- terference with the privacy of an individual is only acceptable if it is ‘‘necessary in a democratic society for the protection of health.’’ The report states that because a positive result ‘‘will be perceived as an effective death warrant,’ and because health professionals do not view mandatory screening as an effective means of reducing the spread of infection, the severe- ly negative consequences of man- datory testing are far greater than any benefits. This scheme would be unjustifiable under interna- tional human rights law. In Canada, we have become the champions of human rights, and we have sought to protect the these days. Video games and tele- vision are the most common distractions, and safety-conscious parents are reluctant to let their kids play unsupervised. But there is a wide range of or- ganized youth sports activities to choose from at local YMCAs and community centres. The YMCA offers swimming, T-ball, gymnastics and softball for Grades 1 through 5, plus basketball for young teens. Whatever the sport, the focus is on the full and equal participation of all. John Woolgar, a sports director of the West Vancouver YMCA, says game scores are not kept because the aim is fitness and fun rather than winning. wins eco award The EYA connects individuals and environment clubs in high schools so that youths’ vaices can be stronger, their actions more effec- tive. The EYA produces five publica- tions each year which go to al! the high schools in Canada and to EYA members. EYA has also held 10 con- ferences over the last year across Canada bringing together over 3,000 youth. They also run wilderness trips and do educa- tional touring in the schools. The main focus for EYA this year was Endangered Spaces. For the coming year EYA will be expanding the Endangered Spaces campaign and hopes to do @ project with the provincial ministry of environment on youth stewardship in which youth will educate themselves through hands-on experience, saving local wilderness areas. For information on EYA, phone 737-2258. issue which draws a response’ from people, usually something a member of rights of individuals around the world. However, letting such a policy come into effect would be, as I stated earlier, a human rights violation — something contrary to our national policy. Let's take the possible human rights abuses scenario one step further. It is quite conceivable, for ex- ample, that a perfectly qualified individual would be turned down for a job, simply because he was HIV-positive. This, the right to work, is protected by international human rights flaw, so a job appli- cant could not legally ‘be refused employment, even if his employer wished it so. However, in other countries, such violations have gone unabated and unchecked, and will quite possibly continue or happen in Canada without interference from the ‘‘equal’’ government which we elect. Each day, we hear of all sorts of discrimination — sexual, racial and so on. We have reached a point of such utter disregard for each other, that we do not need yet ancther source of mutual hatred, which can and will be expioited, if AIDS testing becomes mandatory. Some community centres also offer special fitness sessions for kids on a sessional basis. Spring and summer are geared for out- door activities, including water sports (sailing and canoeing), T- ball, baseball, and a host of others. Some sports such as tennis include a fitness workout as well. So don’t sit around and be a couch potato when there are so many activities to choose from. For more information on youth sperts on the North Shore, con- tact the YMCA at 681-0221, or your local community centre. SO LONG, DAD! Tm GOING OUT TO PLAY BALL WITH FRANCIS! T ASKED MRS. WHAT SHE'D BE IF SHE WASN'T A. TEACHER... $119 NEA me ¥ THOUGHT THE \ TWO OF YOU WERE FIGHTING! 4 Animal rights activists are picketing the movie Batman Returns for its use of penguins. They say it’s cruel to force the Arctic birds into an unusual en- vironnient and dress them up in missile gear, Do you agree, or are the activists overreacting? 980-KIDS : : NEWS photo Neil Lucente HANDING OVER the dipioma to WOW graduate Tracey Chapman is Work Orientation Workshop (WOW) trainer John McGie. Capilano Community Services co-sponsors the pro- gram which gives career education training and work expe- rience to kids aged 12-18. WOW students learn skills while THE WOW program, or Work Orientation Workshep, graduated more students this month. Run by Capilano Communi- ty Services Society and Canada Employment and Immigration, the program is for people 12- 18 years of age. It runs for eight weeks and gives teenagers practical work experience and life skills training. The workshop sessions cover stress and time management, money management, com- munication skills and goal-set- ting. Students also learn inter- view skills, resume writing and job search techniques. Students are paid bi-weekly on the job at minimum. wage for five weeks of work at North Shore businesses. The goal of the program is to show students what awaits them if they decide to stay out of school or to give them.a new perspective on staying. in school. North Vancouver graduates worked in a variety of settings from retail sports and clothing ” stores to a senior care facility and a restaurant. Congratulations to graduates Jesyka Gallagher, Kara Hawley, Brad Cowan, Tracey Chapman, Jocelyn Bishop, Jorge Burmudez, Jason Bassart, Adam Williams, Peter Speers, Angela Baker and Justin Baker, FIGHTINGS NO FUN! WE’ BUDDIES AGAIN! EVERYTHING'S BACK TO NORMAL! AND SHE SAID TWENTY ee YEARS YOLINGER . ea ne be