dodge the terms ofthe rent act. That box of cornflakes allows him to claim
1 that he is providing Bed and
i BreakfasrAccommodation. Sadly, as you would imagine, most landlords exploit this loophole. Until it is tested in court it is still legal and demand for accommodation means that students will continue to take it.
: BASTARD LANDLDRDS
Some landlords take their exploitation too seriously though. and have caused Glasgow University to produce a list of ‘inadvisable landlords‘ — the so-called ‘bastard landlord file‘ — available from Glasgow University Students‘ Representative Council (339 8541).
In Edinburgh you are advised to go to your accommodation officers at your college/university. Alternatively try the Citizen's Rights Office, Citizen‘s Advice Bureau or Shelter. the housing pressure group. Contacts are listed below.
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Most student guides in the past would have mentioned sex and drugs. Now we must also mention AIDS which links the two. Trying to establish the truth about AIDS is confounded by the hysteria of the
; popular press which has seized upon the disease as a means to beat
homosexuals with a ‘moral’ stick,
reversing the so-called advances made during the era of so-called
; sexual liberation. AIDS is a cruel disease that is now relevant to both
the homosexual and heterosexual
community: dealing with it needs
tolerance and responsibility.
The facts are that AIDS is most easily transmitted in two ways; firstly through anal intercourse. This puts sexually promiscuous gay men at high risk. It does not, however,
r.__________
42 The List 3 — 16 October
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STUDENT LIs'_r__
moosmo‘eéuem
Certificated Housing Benelit— full rent
1 and rates rebate and Standard Housing Beneiit— rebate of rent and rates over£15.30.
lfyou are signing on in the summer, you are entitled to Certificated Benefit (DHSS should send you the forms automatically). During term time you are entitled to Standard Benefit which can amount to hundreds of pounds — though if the recommendations of the recent Fowler Review are implemented, students will no longer be able to claim full benefit in short holidays. Finally, if you have any problems
with accommodation. contact your student representatives. They have all the information and the contacts to get things done. Alternatively the housing concern group, Shelter, have an office in Glasgow at 42 St Vincent Street and in Edinburgh at 65 Cockburn Street.
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exclude sexually promiscuous bi-sexuals or heterosexuals, anal intercourse not being the sole preserve of gay men; secondly
refer to the contacts below.
SEX
Britain’s attitude to sex is still remarkably Victorian and many people come to college/university with a very incomplete
. understanding of sex and
3 contraception. There are only two
; ways of avoiding an unwanted
f pregnancy. One is not to have sex.
The other is to use a proven reliable
method of birth control.
Contraception is not the sole preserve of the woman. Both
partners have an equal responsibility, something a lot of men need to learn.
The most reliable means of
‘ contraception is The Pill, with a
failure rate ofless than 1%. Yet The Pill has always been the subject of controversy, being linked to blood
diseases and breast cancer. Evidence
about the latter is, however,
contradictory and the best advice is
to consult with your GP or health
centre, Family Planning Clinic or
Brook Advisory Centre (see
. contacts below). Most women suffer no side effects at all.
The Morning After Pill is the only contraceptive that is used after
: intercourse. It is, however, for
emergencies only and should not be
A relied upon as a regular means of
, birth control. It is a high dose pill (it
2 can produce acute nausea) with 99% 3 effectiveness providing it is taken
through needles used by drug addicts
who inject their drug rather than smoking or sniffing.
AIDS is spread through the bloodstream and cannot be contracted through spitting, kissing or casual personal contact— so the
doctors say, anyhow. Medical advice
generally tends to suggest that wearing a sheath offers considerable protection and is worth the hassle, particularly for homosexuals.
In the current climate, then, gay helplines and facilities are as vital and as important as they have ever been and students who are — or think they may be — lesbian or gay should
within 72 hours of intercourse. If you have unprotected intercourse do not hesitate to seek advice. The advisory centres are helpful and the sooner you act the smaller the risk of unwanted pregnancy. The Morning After Pill is available from the same sources as The Pill.
Research is underway (in Edinburgh) to develop a male oral contraceptive but it is still in the trial stage. Currently the only male contraceptive is the sheath which can be bought from chemists or obtained free from family planning clinics. It has a 3.5% failure rate and offers some protection against sexually transmitted diseases.
The other existing methods of birth control tend to be less effective and more problematic but for advice and details refer to the sources already mentioned.
DRUGS
Running in tandem with the AIDS hysteria has been a glut of sanctimonious nonsense damning all drugs as morally abhorrent, apart from those out of which members of the establishment make vast sums of money, ie alcohol and tobacco. The trouble is that some drugs are less easy to control than others.
Heroin Deeply and quickly addictive, often resulting in death. Use of dirty needles carries risk of contracting AIDS.
Cocaine Used to be known as the rich
‘ person’s pleasure, but it is now the
fastest spreading drug in the country, ahead of heroin which peaked in 1984. Prolonged use leads to brain damage.
LSD ‘Acid’ causes hallucinatory ‘trips’ which can be mild or protracted. Their effect depends on
the mood of the user. Initial euphoria is replaced by paranoia and depression and long term use can result in Schizophrenia. Amphetamines ‘Speed' induces fast performance without tiredness. The
{ tiredness comes later. and is so intense that the temptation to take more is great. thus increasing
dependence and causing depression. Cannabis No more harmful than tobacco according to many doctors —
E which still makes it pretty harmful.
The subject of much alarmist talk. the only plausible way that cannabis
3 can lead to harder drugs is that its 3 illegality forces the user into contact with dealers who sell those harder
drugs.
Nicotine Tobacco is socially acceptable because, unlike the above drugs, people in power have a vested interest in its production. It kills more poeple annually than any other drug through the diseases it causes: lung cancer, throat cancer, bronchitis and heart disease.
Alcohol If abused. like every other drug, it can lead to punishing reliance. Long term alcoholism leads to liver disease and stomach ulcers. EDINBURGH HEALTH ADDRESSES Lesbian and Gay Community Centre 58a Broughton Street, 557 3620; Gay Switchboard 556 4049; Lesbian Line 557 0751 ; Edinburgh University Health Centre Bristo Square, 667 1011; Family Planning Clinic 18 Dean Terrace, 332 7941; Brook Advisory Centre 2 Lower Gilmore Place, 229 5320; British Pregnancy Advisory Service 245 North Street, Glasgow, 041 204 1832; Sexually Transmitted Diseases Department of Genito-Unrlnary Medicine Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh, 1 Lauriston Place, 229 2477: Men (ext 2100), Women (ext 2144). Men and Women Mon—Fri 9am—12noon; . Women Mon, Thurs 4—6.30pm; Men ' Tue 2.30—5pm, Fri 3—5.30pm.
Royal Edinburgh Hospital 151 Morningside Place, 447 2011 (Drug Addiction); Gateway Exchange 2 Abbeymount, 661 0982 (Centre for drug addicts); Drugs and Narcotics Anonymous Simpson House, Queen Street, 225 6028; Alcoholics Anonymous 225 6090; Andrew Duncan Clinic (Alcoholic Problems) Royal Edinburgh Hospitval, 151 Morningside Place, 447 2011; Late Night Chemist Boots, 48 Shandwick Place. 225 6757. Mon—Sat 9am—9.45pm, Sun Ham—4.30pm; Hospitals (Accident and Emergency 24 hours): Royal Infirmary, 1 Lauriston Place, 229 2477; Western General Hospita1.Crewe Road South, 332 2525; Emergency Dental Clinics Day — Edinburgh Dental Hospital, 31 Chambers Street, 225 9511. Mon—Fri 9—10. 15am,
2—3. 15pm. Evening— Western General Hospital, Daily 7—10pm. GLASGOW HEALTH ADDRESSES Royal lnllnnary Castle Street G4, 352 3535 ext 5518; Southern General Hospital 1345 Govan Road G51, 445
2648 ext 407 ; VD lnlormatlon 429 5976; Inlormatlon and Recourse Unit on Addiction 82 West Regent Street G2 (Drug Addiction); Drugs Telephone Inlo Service 332 0063 (Mon—Fri 2—10pm); Glasgow Family
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