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Yearly, 7,000 Lives Are Saved
DR. WALLACE: I'd like to know why we have a stupid law in the United States that requires a person to reach age 21 before legally consuming a drop of alcohol. I am a college freshman at Miami University in Florida and if I have a glass of wine at …Read more.
Outside Lockers Save School Money
DR. WALLACE: Lately, someone has been breaking into student lockers and stealing things. Sometimes I leave expensive things in my locker, and I would be very upset if they were stolen. But if they were, would the school be responsible to reimburse …Read more.
Tell Your Friend the Bad News
DR. WALLACE: My cousin Ted is going with my best friend, Karen, and I thought they were a great couple, but now I'm not so sure. I know she really is in love with him, and she thinks he loves her, too.
Well, last Sunday, we had a big family reunion …Read more.
Allow Your New Mom the Opportunity
DR. WALLACE: We are 16-year-old twins and live with our dad. Our parents divorced, and our dad remarried. Now we have a new mother after not having one for four years.
My dad never disciplined us, so we always got to do whatever we wanted. If my …Read more.
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You Have No Other ChoiceDR. WALLACE: I'm 19, pregnant and not married. My plan is to have the baby and to raise it by myself. The baby's father is really hooked on drugs, so I don't want him involved in any way with the baby. I have been using cocaine recreationally for some time, and I plan to stop very soon. I don't do cocaine everyday — just about twice a week. My baby is due in another 10 weeks, and I was wondering if I might be causing it any discomfort because of my bad habit? - Nameless, San Francisco, Calif. NAMELESS: Don't stop cocaine use "very soon" - Stop it now, today! Do you understand me? You're causing your fetus far more than "discomfort." You might be killing it. I'm shocked and saddened that you don't already know this. Those who become pregnant while maintaining a cocaine addiction are at particular risk for complications, ranging from premature birth to miscarriage and stillbirth. In addition, babies born to mothers who use cocaine may have low birth weight and experience delayed development before and even after birth. "Cocaine increases the heart rate in both the mother and baby and the supply of oxygen and blood to the baby is reduced," according to the Australian Drug Federation website. "Because of the reduced supply, the baby is more likely to be small and grown slowly. Several cases of bleeding in the brain have been reported in babies whose mothers were dependent on cocaine." In addition, "Withdrawal symptoms can occur in the babies of mothers who use cocaine regularly." Get the message? Find the help you need to stop your drug use now , before you do further damage to the precious life you are nurturing.
THE PERSON WHO INVITES — PAYS DR. WALLACE: I'm a regular reader of your column, and I usually agree with your advice, but not this time. You told the girl who invited a boy to a formal dance that she should pay for all the expenses except for any clothing the boy might have to rent. I totally disagree. I firmly believe that the boy should always pay, regardless of who does the asking. Everybody knows that males get paid more than females for equal work, and they can afford it. - Loretta, Pottstown, Pa. LORETTA: Nice try, but I'm holding to my original answer. The person who does the inviting does the paying, unless an agreement is made ahead of time where each party pays for his or her own expenses. The good news is that the salary for females has risen dramatically with the "equal pay for equal work" rule when both males and females have the same job. It won't be long before "justice is served." I WANT TO JUDGE YOU DR. WALLACE: I judge people by the music they listen to. So that I can judge you, please tell me your five favorite singers. — Polly, Centralia, Wash. POLLY: My favorite singers are: Luciano Pavarotti, Hank Williams Sr., Celine Dion, Tony Bennett, Nat King Cole. Trust me, I'll be hard to judge. Dr. Robert Wallace welcomes questions from readers. Although he is unable to reply to all of them individually, he will answer as many as possible in this column. Email him at rwallace@galesburg.net. To find out more about Dr. Robert Wallace and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate website at www.creators.com. COPYRIGHT 2011 CREATORS.COM
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