Various Health Hazards
Australia has one of the lowest rates of AIDS infection in the world, largely because the population caught on very early to the need for safe sex, which has been promoted heavily. Infected needles are also a danger, not only among intravenous drug users but also from ear-piercing and tattooing. The Australian National Council on AIDS (ANCA) has centres all over the country, and you'll find AIDS helplines listed in the major cities in this section of the website. Other health hazards are far less pressing. Tap water is safe to drink everywhere. It doesn't always taste good, but bottled water is commonly available. One thing to watch out for in the hot and humid north is tropical ear , a very painful fungal infection of the ear canal. Treatment is with ear drops and if you think you might be susceptible, use them anyway after getting wet. Although you're unlikely to find yourself in the path of a raging bushfire , it helps to know how to survive one. If you're in a car, don't attempt to drive through smoke but park at the side of the road in the clearest spot, put on your headlights, wind up the windows and close the air vents. Although it seems to go against common sense - and your natural instincts - it's safer to stay inside the car . Lie on the floor and cover all exposed skin with a blanket or any covering at hand. The car won't explode or catch on fire, and a fast-moving wildfire will pass quickly overhead. If you smell or see smoke and fire while walking , find a cleared rocky outcrop or an open space: if the terrain and time permits, dig a shallow trench - but in any event, lie face down and cover all exposed skin. AIDS organizations ACON (AIDS Council of NSW), PO Box 350, Darlinghurst, NSW 2010 (tel 02/9206 2000 or free call 1800 063 060, www.acon.org.au ); AIDS Trust of Australia, PO Box 1030, Darlinghurst, NSW 2010 (tel 02/9310 1066).
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