I Want to be a Good Role Model by Dr. Robert Wallace on Creators.com

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I Want to be a Good Role Model

DR. WALLACE: I'm married and the father of a two-month-old son. I love him more than life. Last year, when I was 19, I was arrested for driving under the influence of alcohol. That should have made me quit drinking, but it didn't. I'm still drinking, a lot. My wife begs me to stop drinking. I try, but I just can't.

More than anything, I want to be a good role model for my son. I fear that someday I could be involved in a fatal automobile accident by driving after drinking. I'm willing to do anything to get me to stop drinking. Please help me. I want to change my life. - P.J., Santa Fe, N.M.

P. J.: Asking for help is the first step in becoming sober for life. The vast majority of alcoholics (yes, teens can be alcoholics) cannot overcome the strong urge to consume alcohol by themselves. There are many treatment centers that can offer assistance. The most widely known is the Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) network. Because of the increasing number of young alcoholics, many AA groups now have chapters made up exclusively for young drinkers. AA is a highly successful form of group counseling and support, and attending AA meetings can be a helpful and rewarding experience.

Please look in the white pages of the telephone book for the number under the listing of Alcoholics Anonymous, or call 1-800-510-2437 (24-hr. hotline) for information about AA. I wish you all the best.

SAY A GOOD WORD FOR ME

DR. WALLACE: My three best friends have formed an "informal" neighborhood hockey team.

They play other "informal" hockey teams every Saturday afternoon. I'm a pretty good ice skater and would like to play on the team (age limit 14), but my stepmother won't let me. She doesn't want me to catch a cold because the teams play on a frozen pond. She thinks that if I catch a cold, I'll give it to my baby sister and my dad.

All the players dress warmly and actually sweat sometimes during the game. Their parents don't seem to worry much about colds. Please say a good word for me because I really would like to compete. - Karl, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada

KARL: If the threat of catching a cold is the only reason you are not allowed to play hockey outdoors, then your stepmother should contact your family doctor and ask about cold weather and colds. She would be informed that weather — even damp, rainy weather — has nothing what so ever to do with catching a cold or the flu. Viruses cause colds and the flu. Viruses are transferred from one human to another.

To reduce your chance of contracting a cold or the flu, wash your hands with soap and warm water several times daily for at least 15 seconds. Keep fingers away from your nose or mouth and never share eating utensils or drinking glasses with anyone.

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.