CITY'S A HEP C HOTBED, STUDY SHOWS

Local News - The percentage of people with hepatitis C in the Kingston
region is nearly double the provincial rate, according to newly released
statistics.

For 100,000 people in Kingston, almost 97 have the disease, according to
numbers presented at a public forum by public health nurse Marg McReynolds.

Health Canada estimates 57 people out every 100,000 in Ontario are living
with the virus.

The rate of infection in the Kingston region is nearly quadruple the
provincial average if inmates living in institutions in the Kingston area
are included in the figures, said McReynolds.

The families of these inmates account for a portion of the numbers as well,
said Tina Knorr, the hepatitis C strategy co-ordinator at the Street Health
Centre in Kingston.

"When you take the inmates out, you still have the population of their
families, people that live here to be closer to their families. Often even
when they [inmates] are released from jail they don't move," she explained.

For nine years, Knorr has been a counsellor at the clinic for people who
engage in high-risk behaviours.

The statistics compiled by the Kingston Frontenac Lennox and Addington
District Health Unit for 2002 were released publicly for the first time at
a hepatitis C forum last month.

Kingston's past is a factor in the findings, Knorr said.

"In the '70s, Kingston was quite a big speed city, so there was an awful
amount of injection drug use happening then and so a great deal of the
people I see in counselling are people who are from those days," Knorr said.

Younger intravenous drug users are more conscientious, she said.

"Even to this day, some of the older-school people are sort of difficult to
convince to change their habits a little bit," Knorr said. "The younger
people, we've found they've been taught since Day One about harm reduction
and keeping themselves safe."

According to the health unit findings, people in the 30-to-40 age bracket
have the highest rate of hepatitis C infection.

Knorr said Kingston has a successful needle exchange that hands out about
1,000 needles a day. People come from as far away as Belleville and
Brockville to use the service.

"As long as we can be sure people are getting clean needles when they're
injecting, then you know that you've reduced potential harm," Knorr said.

"They bring back over 85 per cent of [the used needles], so we have quite a
good exchange."

She said about 240,000 Canadians carry the hepatitis C virus although an
estimated 25 per cent are unaware they have it.

Hepatitis C attacks the liver, but it typically takes about 20 years before
its effects are felt. About 20 per cent of infected people go on to develop
cirrhosis and cancer of the liver.

The virus can travel from one person's blood to another. The most common
way people get the disease is through intravenous drug use.

Sylvie Olivieiz, a Kingston woman, lives with hepatitis C she acquired
because of intravenous drug use. She also lives with HIV.

In 1989, Olivieiz was a prostitute and a regular IV drug user. A blood test
revealed she had HIV.

"The big thing with these diseases is they didn't give you enough
information before or after [you contracted it]," she said.

Olivieiz moved from Ottawa to Kingston in 1995.

After arriving in the city, she learned that she also had hepatitis C.

In 1999, she found out she was pregnant.

"[At the time] I was worried about the HIV," she said. "I never thought of
the hepatitis C."

She adds that her child is clear of the diseases.

Olivieiz said people are sometimes scared of her. When she has guests over,
they'll sometimes not use her washroom after staying for hours.

Like Olivieiz, Scott Helesic was once a heavy intravenous drug user. He has
lived with hepatitis C for nine years.

Helesic said his drug problems started when he started smoking marijuana at
the age of 13. It eventually progressed into hash, opium and other drugs.

At 18, Helesic said he was having a lot problems in his life and turned to
heroin.

"Heroin was absolutely perfect for me at that time -- it numbed all my
feelings," he explained.

Soon finding himself broke and physically sick, he decided to get help.

He and his partner went to a methadone clinic. Blood tests showed hepatitis C.

After quitting drugs, Helesic said he began to drink more alcohol, but he's
cut back on that lately.

"About a year ago, I became concerned about my health and my liver's
health," he said.