THINK AIDS IS JUST A BIG CITY ISSUE?: RESTAURANT PLACEMAT CAMPAIGN.

AIDS prevention; AWARENESS; PREVENTIVE health services; RESTAURANTS; EDUCATION

ONTARIO; CANADA

The article focuses on role of restaurants in disseminating awareness regarding AIDS in Ontario. Most of the communities in the area are very small, rural, conservative, and family based. Sexual issues are not accepted as a topic of public discussion. In some areas, parents' groups want only a sex-segregated, abstinence based, sexual health education curriculum in the schools. Since the public sees businessmen as community leaders, community members, community friends, as well as neighbors, over the past few years the business community has been the main partner in AIDS week activities. Two hundred and three restaurants participated in the campaign. Rude comments from customers were rare and were handled by the restaurant staff. Negative feedback was the exception rather than the rule and most sites had no negative comments at all. Though only restaurants had been targeted, hospital and penitentiary cafeterias as well as several church supper groups learned of the project and asked to participate.