DR. WALLACE: I regret recently participating in a binge-drinking episode at my university in the Pacific Northwest. I'm only 20, so I'm not a legal drinker yet, but I had no trouble at all attending a local fraternity party and consuming as much alcohol as I wanted.

Before this episode, I'd only had a few drinks ever in my life, usually just one at a time, except for one occasion in which I had two drinks over a six-hour period. Even with those episodes I didn't feel so great the next day, but after my binge drinking this past weekend, I literally was in bed for two days straight with an unbelievable headache, and I got physically sick several times in a row over and over. I'll spare you the gory details, but needless to say it was not pretty, and I am both embarrassed and ashamed of myself. I spent many hours on the floor in front of my toilet at my apartment.

Does the fact that I've now been drinking on a binge one time mean that I'll soon become an alcoholic, or am I already an alcoholic?

How can I avoid falling into a situation like this again? — Full of Regret and Remorse, via email

FULL OF REGRET AND REMORSE: If you are sincerely full of regret and remorse, do your utmost to lean on those feelings. Before you even consider engaging in underage drinking of even one drink again, remember exactly how you felt this past weekend and why you don't want to repeat the mistakes you've made.

You are not necessarily an alcoholic now based on this one horrible experience, but you have certainly opened the door toward going down a road that may lead you in that direction.

The key now is to get control of your life and your free will, and to engage in smart, thoughtful decision-making. Plan in advance how you're going to act and what you're going to say when you're in a similar situation in the future. Refrain from drinking alcohol, and enjoy your social activities without falling into the pattern of feeling you need the crutch of alcohol in order to fit in. The truth is, you do not need alcohol to have fun and enjoy your life.

Consider yourself lucky that nothing worse happened to you, and chalk this up to a hard lesson learned. But if you repeat this binge behavior even one more time, I suggest that you seek professional counseling immediately at that point.

WHY DO THEY DO THIS?

DR. WALLACE: These days, everyone knows smoking is really bad for any human being. You would think young people in particular would refrain from smoking due to the overall awareness of health consciousness that exists in today's younger generations when it comes to healthy food, clean air and clean water and personal fitness, but I often observe many teenagers in my part of the country who not only smoke cigarettes, but several of them appear to be chain smokers!

What do you think accounts for this cognitive dissonance? — I Can't Believe My Eyes, via email

I CAN'T BELIEVE MY EYES: I do agree with you that many people experience cognitive dissonance, and today's teenagers are not exempt. You also did not mention the rapid rise of vaping that took place recently in this country, with the majority of those who fall into the 16- to 29-year-old age range.

My experience with young people leads me to believe the primary reason for this is that young people tend to have a sense of invincibility. This of course is not true, especially in the long run, but in the short run younger individuals often feel that they can power through many situations, including smoking and dangerous driving maneuvers, without harm or consequences. Too often we see that this sadly is not always true.

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 [email protected]. 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.

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