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m lETFUTtSm, WE BUY USED CD'S FOR $4.00 or trade 2 for 1 USED CD'S $8.99 or LESS 268-0154 (At Northgate) Page 2 HEALTH & SCIENCE Wednesday* July 6, ] 994 Nasty needles no longer necessary RISEAftCH HERPES STUDY Individuals with genital herpes infections are being recruited for a 52-week research study of an investigational anti-viral medication. A current herpes outbreak is not necessary. $300 will be paid to qualified volunteers who enroll and complete this study. For more information, call: VIP Research, Inc. (409) 776-1417 Program focuses on HIV prevention by stressing information, sanitation By Mark Evans the spread of AIDS,” he said. I i r r' T2 a 'T" r at i r"\x t T~> l 1 _ J 1 1 T> 1 lliiiP FREE PRACTICE LSAT Programs that provide clean needles to drug addicts are proving effective in stop ping the spread of HIV without encourag ing drug use, but in Texas, they have re ceived a lukewarm response. One-third of AIDS cases in the United States occur among adults and teenagers who are injection drug users, according to a recent study in the Journal of the American Medical Association. “As many as 4.5 million men and women are in the direct line of fire - as IV (intravenous) drug users or their sexual partners - for HIV infection,” says an arti cle in the journal. See related editorial, Page 5 Saturday, July 9th 9:00 am -12:30 pm 313 Dominik Dr. Call 696-9099 to reserve a space! the PRINCETON REVIEW A We Score More! Several communities across the United States, such as New Haven, Conn, and San Francisco, Calif., have already start ed programs that allow drug users to ex change dirty needles for clean ones as a way of stopping the spread of HIV. In New Haven, the city’s health de partment exchanges clean syringes for dirty syringes from a van that travels be tween five neighborhoods, four days a week. The program started in 1990 and has since seen a 33 percent decline in the number of AIDS cases in New Haven. In addition, the program has referred 20 percent of its clients to drug treatment programs. George Bucheli, a needle exchange out reach worker, estimates that workers hand out 150-350 needles a day. Workers also hand out food, clothes, condoms, and information about needle disposal. “Basically, all of the information that comes out of the van is to try to stop the the spread of AIDS,” he said. But when the program started, Buche li said, some people were more concerned about the program’s effect on drug abuse rates than its effectiveness in stopping the spread of HIV. “Everyone thought that we were pro moting drug use, that we were going to make people use more drugs,” he said. “All of that has turned out to be false. But we had to change laws to get it done.” Since 1990, Connecticut has become one of the few states to allow people to buy syringes over-the-counter in pharma cies. Meanwhile, almost all of the 50 states restrict the sale and possession of syringes to patients with diseases, such as diabetes. Dr. Richard Needle, head of communi ty research for the National Institute on Drug Abuse, said that for maximum ben efit, needle exchange programs should be combined with other strategies, such as education or drug treatment. “What you’d like to have is a compre hensive community-based program that has a number of different features,” he said. “It is in that context that needle exchange becomes an alternative.” Outreach workers, through their con tacts with drug users, have plenty of op portunities, not only to provide them with clean needles, but also to encourage them to kick the drug habit by offering them help. Dr. David McMurray, a professor at Texas A&M University’s medical school, said that to combat the spread of HIV, health officials must start taking needle exchange programs seriously. “As far as I’m concerned, I don’t think we can ignore the drug users and solve the HIV problem,” he said. “They’re part 7 H .. of the same problem and must be solved together.” In parts of the country where law and order are big issues, McMurray said, sy ringe exchange programs have been too easily dismissed as nonsense because people see them as promoting drug use. In Texas, 12 percent of people with AIDS have been infected through contam inated needles, according to the Texas Department of Health. The state cur rently outlaws any program that would offer free needles to drug users. Lee Trevino, Texas Department of Health manager for HIV counseling and testing, said he does not believe that the state will ever allow needle exchange pro grams. Texas legislators are very conserva tive, he said, and they fear the political backlash that could result if they offer needles to drug users. “I suspect that what they’ll do is never allow the issue to be brought up for a vote, as a way of pushing it under the rug,” he said. Trevino said he is not convinced that needle exchange programs are effective. And, he said, studies done on needle ex change programs in California and Con necticut may not be applicable to Texas. “In Texas, can we say that we have the same kind of incidence of HIV infection and needle-using substance abusers as we see on the East or West Coast?” Trevi no said. “I don’t know. But if we don’t, then these kind of programs may not work here.” Tom Elatchford, speaker’s bureau coor dinator for the AIDS Foundation of Hous ton, disagrees and said that with the Please see Needles, Page 6 The Princeton Review is not affiliated with LSAS or Princeton Universit IT Food poisoning targets 81 million Americans a year Tuberculosis on the rise By Michelle E. Morat A. P. Beutel Health Center Texas has third highest number of cases, trails behind California and New York London Brussels Frankfurt Madrid Tokyo Costa Rica $165" Fares are each way from Houston based on a roundtrip purchase. Restrictionsapplyand taxes not included. Call for other worldwide destinations. Council Travd 2000 Guadalupe St. • Austin, IX 78705 512-472-4931 CINEMARK THEATRES MOVIES 16 HOLLYWOOD USA ) |Hwy 6 Bypass @ Hwy 30 764-75921 MOVIES BELOW ARE FIRST-RUN $3.00 MATINEES BEFORE 6PM Movie schedule good for Wednesday, july 6 and Thursday, July 7 FORREST GUMP (PG-13) 12:30 3:40 7:00 10:00 (12:45) Thx. m I LOVE TROUBLE (PG) 11:05 1:35 4:15 7:30 10:15 (12:40) LITTLE BIG LEAGUE (PG) 12:05 2:30 5:00 7:40 10:10 (12:30) *THE LION KING (G) <on 2 screens* [ )-|y #1 11:00 1:00 3:10 5:20 7:35 9:55 (12:05) #2 12:00 2:10 4:30 7:00 9:15 (11:20) *SPEED (R) <ON 2 SCREENS* JBZ #1 11:20 1:50 4:25 7:15 10:05 (12:35) 88 #2 12:05 2:30 5:10 8:00 10:35 *CITY SLICKERS II (PG-13) <on 2 screens> #1 11:15 1:40 4:10 7:00 9:40 (12:15) #2 11:40 2:15 4:45 7:40 10:15 screens ON BOTH GETTING EVEN WITH DAD (PG) 11:20 1:45 4:25 7:20 9:50 (12:15) THE COWBOY WAY (PG-13) 12:00 2:25 4:50 7:30 10:10 (12:30) MAVERICK (PG) 11:00 1:35 4:20 7:05 10:00 (12:40) BEVERLY HILLS COP III (R) 12:10 2:35 5:20 7:55 10:20 (12:35) THE CROW (R) 12:30 2:45 5:15 8:15 10:25 (12:30) BABY'S DAY OUT (PG) CE 11:00 1:05 3:15 5:30 7:45 10:05 (12:15) 8 Seconds (PG) 11:10 1:40 4:20 7:10 9:35 (11:50) () LATE SHOWS FRIDAY AND SATURDAY ONLY What people tnay have been calling a 24-hour flu may be a case of food borne illness. Each year up to 81 million Americans suffer from food borne ill ness. Remarkably, only a few types of bacteria are responsible for a majority of these illnesses. These are Salmonella, Staphylococcus and Perfringins. Salmonella symptoms may appear anywhere from 8 to 72 hours to 8 to 15 days after contact depending on the type of strain. Symptoms can include di arrhea, fever, nausea and vomiting. Food reservoirs of salmonella include poultry, eggs and red meat. In addition, people can be carriers of salmonella and pass it through food to other people if they do not practice safe food handling. Salmonella is the most reported food borne illness to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention. Staphylococcus symptoms can appear anywhere from 1 to 8 hours and can include nausea, vomiting at 5 to 20 minute intervals for 1 to 8 hours, abdominal and leg cramps, diarrhea 1 to 7 times per hour, high pulse, cold sweats and dehydration. Perfringins symptoms can appear anywhere be tween 2 to 24 hours and can include nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain and explosive diarrhea. This is considered a mild food borne illness and probably the one most often called the 24-hour flu because symptoms disappear within a day. This is the third most reported food borne illness, but it may be the most common food borne illness because of the lack of reporting it. Another bacteria that causes food borne illness and that has been in the me dia a lot lately is E. Coli. E. Coli is initially found in the feces of cattle. When the animals are slaugh tered, bacteria in the digestive tract may come in contact with meat. Cow feces may come in contact with other foods and cause food borne ill ness. For example, an apple that falls on the ground in a cow pasture and is then picked up and eaten without adequate washing can cause the bacteria. Bacteria are like any living thing. They need food, water and the right cli mate conditions to survive. For illness to occur, food must be contaminated (contamination is impossible to eliminate), food must support growth (contain protein, adequate water, and the right pH) and food must be left in the wrong temperature (not hot or cold enough to kill bacteria or prevent its growth.) Factors that can cause food borne illness are slow cooling of foods, inade quate cooking, improper hat-holding, cross-contamination and infected food handlers. People should follow these tips to help prevent sickness: 1. Keep potentially hazardous foods out of the “Temperature Danger Zone.” Some examples of potentially hazardous foods are beef, chicken, fish, eggs, cooked pasta, cooked grains and cooked vegetables. The “Temperature Danger Zone” is the temperature range from 40 to 140 degrees at which bacteria repro duce rapidly. People should keep hot foods hot and cold foods cold until they are ready to eat and refrigerate leftovers immediately. 2. Clean and sanitize food preparation equipment and cutting boards be tween each use. 3. To prevent cross-contaminating foods, people should wash their hands every time they come in contact with raw foods or any unsanitary surfaces such as tables, dirty dishes and restroom facilities. 4. Cook potentially hazardous foods such as ground meats, poultry, fish and eggs thoroughly to kill any bacteria that may cause food home illness. By Sara Israwi The Battalion. .. Brazos County and the, state ©f Texas are facing major concerns as the numbers of cases of tuberculosis increase through out the state. Texas has the third highest number of tuberculosis cases in the United States, behind California and New York. Eight cases of the disease have been confirmed in Brazos County this year, and 2,393 new cases were reported in Texas in 1993. Joyce Cowles, reporting and data analysis manager for the Texas Depart ment of Health, said the figures for 1993 were low tion to d.ecrease. their chances of develop ing active tuberculosis. “The other thing is when someone is di agnosed with active tuberculosis we test all of their close contacts to see if they are infected or might have the disease,” she said. Dr. David McMurry, a professor of med ical microbiology and immunology, said there is a vaccine used around the world but it has not been effective in treating the disease. “Anyone who has not been immunized is susceptible to Active tuberculosis is highly con tagious and does not require face-to-face contact. tuberculosis, and in the United States that is vir tually everyone,” McMurry said. “People with HIV, the elderly and compared to cases nationwide in 1992, but they appear to be rising again. “As of now we are 10 to 15 percent ahead of 1993; and if that’s the case, we’ll be back up to 2,400 or 2,500 in 1994,” she said. Sharon Arnold, a registered nurse at A.P. Beutel Health Center, said tuberculo sis, which affects the immune system, can be fatal if not treated. Beutel offers tuberculosis testing, but only requires international students to take the test. “We recommend it for all students be cause we are really seeing an increase in tuberculosis and tuberculosis skin tests,” Arnold said. Many students’ skin tests come out negative but could test positive later, Arnold said. “If this happens, Beutel will do a chest X-ray, and if it confirms they do not have tuberculosis, then the student is given medication to prevent it,” she said. “If X- rays are positive, the student is then re ferred to the health department.” Shirley Kostohryz, nursing supervisor at Brazos County Health Department, said people with a positive skin test are not contagious and can be put on medica- pregnant women are also in high-risk groups.” Active tuberculosis is highly contagious and does not require face-to-face contact, he said. “The organism can survive in the air, and can be carried through air ducts,” Mc Murry said. “It starts out in the respira tory route of an infected person.” Kostohryz said the disease can only be transmitted through the air. “The ones at risk are those who are sharing air space with someone who has the active disease,” she said. Research in the College of Medicine is currently testing how vaccines protect ani mals from tuberculosis because their sys tem is similar to the human body system. McMurry said some progress has been made. Certain nutrients lacking in a diet makes the system less protected by the vaccine, he said. Protein is important, as well as nationwide vitamin D and zinc. “It is important to note that there are a lot of fundamental things we don’t know about controlling tuberculosis,” McMurry said. “The current epidemic caught us by surprise, and now we have to start back at square one.” Slnema 3 315 COLLEGE AVE. 693"2796 CARMINE BLOWN AWAY (R) 1:30 4:00 7:15 9:45 THE SHADOW (PG-13) 1:00 3:30 7:30 9:40 JURASSIC PARK (PG-13) 2:00 4:30 7:00 9:20 •NO PASSES ACCEPTED ON THIS FEATURE SHOWTIMES FOR TODAY ONLY Pest Oak 3 1500 HARVEY RD. 693 m 279G CARMIKE Place Your Ad In The Battalion Call 845-2696 WYATT EARP (PG-13) 12:00 3:45 7:45 WOLF (R) 1:15 4:15 7:05 9:30 FLINTSTONES (PG) 1:00 3:00 5:00 7:00 9:00 Come in For A FREE Workout! NORTH GATE ATHLETIC CLUB NGAC NO INITIATION FEES, NO CONTRACTS, NO HASSLES SUMMER MEMBERSHIP * FREE WEIGHTS * STEPPERS * BICYCLES * MACHINES * WEIGHT LOSS & * WEIGHT GAIN PROGRAMS 201 COLLEGE MAIN RAfi.fiTQK (BEHIND LOUPOTS AT NORTHGATE) ri ii Battalion MARK EVANS, Editor in chief The Battalion (USPS 045-360) is published daily, Monday through Friday during the fall and spring semesters and Monday through Thursday during the summer sessions (except University holidays and exam periods), at Texas A&M University. Second class postage paid at College Station, TX 77840. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to The Battalion, 230 Reed McDonald Building, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843. News: The Battalion news department is managed by students at Texas A&M University in the Division of Student Publication, a unit of the Department of Journalism. Editorial offices are in 013 Reed McDonald Building. Newsroom phone number is 845-3313. Fax: 845-2647. 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