“Is a good first step in making basic information available to the average household,’ Dr. Brian O’Connor said. **There is a lot of misinformation out there.’* O’Connor said most AIDS in- formation has thus far been directed at high-risk groups such as homosexuals and intraveneous drug abusers, ‘‘but people have to realize that AIDS is not a disease of high-risk groups but of high- tisk behaviors.’’ The general public, he said, must therefore learn the causes of AIDS or the deadly virus will make increasing inroads into areas of the population not previously consid- ered high risk. 3 - Sunday, October 4, 1987:- North'Shore News LOCAL CHIEF MEDICAL OFFICER SAYS PUBLIC NEEDS TO KNOW RISKS brochures hailed | THE TWO AIDS (Aquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome) brochures mailed recently to B.C. residents by the provin- cial government represent a good start in bringing basic AIDS information to the general public, according to the North Shore’s new chief medical health officer. By TIMOTHY RENSHAW News Reporter The government pamphlets, Be Responsible...For Lite and Talking With Your Children About AIDS, outline basic AIDS information such as what the viral infection is, what its symptoms are, how people become infected and how pare.ts can provide their children with AIDS information. A new provincial AIDS hotline number (1-800-972-2437 toll-free throughout B.C. or 872-6652 in Vancouver) is also provided in the pamphlets. According to the latest World Mohawk close to $72 million Czech deal NORTH VANCOUVER’S Mohawk Oil Ltd. is close to signing a $12 million deal with Czechoslovakia to build an oil recycling plant in that country. Mohawk chairman Don Skagen said Wednesday he is optimistic his company will land the contract, **but nothing is finalized yet.”’ He said he hoped the deal would be completed by the end of the year. "Skagen recently returned from a six-day trade mission to Czechoslovakia, which was orga- nized by the provincial government to help three B.C. companies in their attempts to win Czechosiovakian contracts worth an estimated $190 million. Accompanying Skagen were B.C.’s Economic Development Minister Grace McCarthy, H.A. Simons Lid. president Ken Smith and {ntercont Relations Group president Mike Hudec. RECYCLING PLANT Skagen said the Czechoslovakians have been inter- ested in setting up an oil recycling plant similar to Mohawk’s North Vancouver operation for the past two years. Weather: . Sunday, mostly cloudy with showers. Monday, mostly sunny. Tuesday, mostly cloudy. Highs near 16°C. H By TIMOTHY RENSHAW “News Reporter The North Vancouver plant, which began production in 1983 and is the only one of its kind in the world, currently produces ap- proximately 20 million litres of oil annually. POLLUTION FREE Its process for recycling used oil is virtually pollution free, Skagen said, ‘‘the only thing (byproduct) it produces is a little steam.’ All dirt, sand and the various oil additives in modern oils are reduc- ed by the process into an inert substance used in asphalt. The reclaimed oil is then, put back on the market. Skagen said Mohawk owns all proprietary rights to the process. A deal with Czechoslovakia, he said, would have no effect on the North Vancouver recycling opera- tion. a INDEX Business............ 25 Classified Ads........47 Doug Collins......... 9 Comics ............. 35 Editorial Page........ 6 Fashion.............147 Bob Huntar.......... 4 Lifestyles............931 Mailbox..............7 Sports......... TV Listings... Travel ..............97 What's Going On.....38 Health Organization estimates 10 million people worldwide are in- fected with the AIDS virus. As of May 4, 1987, Canada had 1.001 AIDS patients. The national ratio is 39.4 AIDS patients per mil- lion population. B.C., with 270 cases reported since 1983, has a ratio double Cavuda's: 75 per million. O'Connor said 20,060 British Columbians have tested HIV (the virus that causes AIDS) positive and are potential AIDS patients. Seven North Shore residents, he said, have been diagnosed as hav- ing AIDS. The number who have tested HIV positive, he said, has yet to be determined. Results from a recent B.C. Cen- tre for Disease Control AIDS test carried out over 22 months found 1,515 of 26,259 people tested HIV positive. Of those who tested HIV positive, 1,279 were homosexual- Retiring LGH president bisexual, nine were intravenous drug abusers, 25 were hemophil- iacs, 44 contracted the virus through heterosexual contacts, two were prostitutes, 22 were multiple blood transfusion recipients and 134 aquired the AIDS virus from sources unknown, The AIDS virus is transmitted through the exchange of infected blood, semen or vaginal fluid. It has also been found in breast milk. Sexual intercourse, especially anal, and intravenous drug abuse remain the principle modes of HIV transmission. There is AIDS. Of B.C.’s reported 270 AIDS patients, 253 were homosexual- bisexual males, four were homosexual intravenous drug abusers, seven were blood reci- pients, four aquired the virus through heterosexual transmissions and two patients died before any no known cure for - tt NEWS photo Mike W! NEW North Shore Chief Medical Officer Dr. Brian O°Con- nor...°*There is a Jot of misinfor- mation out there.” medical history could be obtained. It is estimated that B.C. will have 1,000 AIDS cases by 1990, and the cost to the health system to treat those patients will be over $50,000,000. The current cost to treat one AIDS patient ranges between $50,000 and $100,000. Chemical spill drill MEMBERS OF Canadian Oc- cidental Petroleum Ltd.'s efiergency response team prac- tise capping a damaged chlorine drum container as part of a chemical spill training exercise staged last week at the North Vancouver plant while North Vancouver District Assistant Fire Chief Larry Reda looks on. The exercise, which was done in connection with: the North Vancouver District Fire Department, was part of the North Vancouver company’s Community Awareness Emergency Response (CAER) program. The program tales an active role in promoting chemi- cal industry safety and raising public awareness! of the in- dustry. Three types of chlorine containers were used to try various safety precautions in the exercise. Canadian Occiden- tal’s industrial chemical division produces chlorine, caustic soda, muriatic acid and sodium chlorate at its North Vancouver plant. : | | ' i ' gets surprises on last day FORMER LIONS Gate Hospital president John Borthwick thought he was going to a wine and cheese party, but he was presented with a trip around the world instead. LGH hospital workers, board members, medical staff and hospi- tal auxiliary members chipped in and presented the trip as a retire- ment present to Borthwick, who retired Sept. 30 after running the 700-bed hospital for 1! years. “I was just absolutely over- whelmed by it,’*? Borthwick said in an interview Friday. ‘And i have absolutely no idea when I’m going to leave: “T always thought | might like to go to Southeast Asia — now [ll have the chance.”’ Hospital staff planned a special day of celebration for the retiring president's last day, and took him completely by surprise. Among the day’s special treats was a lunch, complete with limousine ride to the restaurant. “T always thought I knew what was going on around the hospi- tal,’? Borthwick said of the cele- brations. ‘‘They kept me complete- ly in the dark.” With Borthwick's retirement, the search committee of the hospi- tal board is now screening appli- cants for the position, which was advertised across Canada. “They haven’t yet come to a decision,’ said LGH vice-president of finance Gerry Martins. ‘‘It’s a very long process to go through.”’ RETIRING 'LGH president John Borthwick...‘I always thought I might like to go to Southeast Asia — now I'll have the chance.”’