Students will install machines today

Press, Volume CXI, Issue 32677, 5 August 1971, Page 1

Students will install machines today

Contraceptive vending machines will be installed this morning by the University of Canterbury Students’ Association at its two Student Union buildings in Christchurch. This action may also be followed by the placing of similar machines in a hotel in Christchurch.

The executive of the. Students’ Association at| its normal weekly meet-1 ing last evening decided to confirm its earlier decision to install the machines as a means of reducing the rise in venereal disease among! young people in Christchurch.

The only change made to; the earlier decision was that! four machines will now be installed—one in each of the two female and two male lavatories in the two Student ! Union buildings. The acting-president of the. Students’ Asociation (Mr M.l G. Smith) said that he hoped [the University Council wouldj show what he termed a “tol-l erant” attitude to the student executive’s decision. I I hope they show such, an attitude, at least to the' point where the benefit of! the installation of these machines has been proved,” he[ said. Before taking the final decision to install the machines the Students’ Association executive consulted the association’s solicitor, who said that there was no law to prevent the machines’ installation, Mr Smith said. Support for the action of the association has come from the Lincoln College Students’ Association. This as-1 sociation opposed a similar! move proposed three years ago. Last evening the president of the Lincoln association (Mr I. R. Gunn) said that firm support for the action had been given by his executive. “An action of this type is criticised by many as being irresponsible and fostering permissiveness among young I people. However, taking such an attitude is in itself irresponsible,” Mr Gunn said. “To say that the absence [of contraceptives . will stop? [people indulging in sex shows a complete ignorance of the emotional, spiritual and phy-l sical aspects of one of man’s! strongest instincts,” he said. [ The chancellor of the Uni-' yersity of Canterbury (Mr T. H. McCombs), when asked to J comment on the action of the’; Students’ Association, said I that he would “not be drawn” ; on the situation. It was the-association’s decision, he said. “I expect that the students will solve the problems fori' themselves,” Mr McCombs' 'said. I The licensee of the Christ- [ church hotel in which the in-i stailation of two contraceptive vending machines is be- ; ing considered said yesterday ■ afternoon that while he did not wish to have his name, or that of his hotel published at this stage, he was definitely studying the idea. This was confirmed by the Christchurch distributor ofj-

■ the contraceptive vending; machines, Mr W. H. Weal- : [leans, who said that two units ■ !are set aside “waiting for the ■ I official go-ahead.” Local manufacture ! .[ Mr Wealleans said that be- • fore he decided to begin distribution of the vending ' machines, which are manufactured by a Christchurch ' [ firm, he had held discussions ■ with medical specialists in

venereal disease. Acting partly on their advice he decided to import the necessary components to have the machines manufactured. “My discussions with the medical folk strengthened my opinion that these machines have a socially essential role to play,” Mr Wealleans said. < Contraceptive vending < machines have been widely i introduced overseas. In Great Britain, contra- i ceptives are readily avail- i able in many universities, in- < 'eluding Oxford and Cam- l [bridge. 1

; Investigations into the installation of contraceptive vending machines in the University of Otago Student 1 Union have been abandoned temporarily, according to a I Press Association message from Dunedin. “The matter has lapsed in the meantime but it might be considered during the next few weeks,” a spokesman for the executive said yesterday.