DR. WALLACE: My boyfriend and I are both 17 and have been dating for more than a year. He's a great guy, and we have wonderful times together.

About a week ago, his older brother, while driving his van, got into an accident where several people were injured. The newspaper said he was arrested for driving under the influence of alcohol. He was at a party and had too much to drink.

Now my parents are putting pressure on me to unload my boyfriend. They assume that since his brother (who is 19) drinks and drives, so will my boyfriend. I will admit that my boyfriend does have the occasional beer, but he has never consumed alcohol and then driven a car. The father of these guys has allowed his two sons to drink beer in their house since they turned 15. He wanted them to drink at home so he could keep an eye on them rather than have them drink away from home.

I think my boyfriend should be judged on what he does, not for the sins of his sibling. Do you agree? —Nameless, Ft. Walton Beach, Fla.

NAMELESS: I do agree that the sins of his brother should not reflect on your boyfriend's character.

It's the stupidity of his father that could eventually cause problems for your boyfriend. Allowing underage children to consume alcohol at home so they won't drink away from home is a very unwise practice. The problem of the brother can be directly linked to being allowed to consume alcohol at home. The father's theory was obviously a big flop.

Never, ever ride with your boyfriend if he has been drinking. Call your parents for a ride.

I WANT TO GET A TATTOO

DR. WALLACE: I'm 17 and will graduate from high school in a few months. I will be attending the University of California at Riverside next September. For the past two years, I have wanted to get a tattoo of a butterfly on the back of my left shoulder. My parents didn't want me to be tattooed, so I followed their wishes. But I told them that when I turned 18, I was going to have that butterfly. They are not happy with this decision, and this bothers me.

What can I do to impress upon them that, in 2013, it's no big deal for a girl to have a tattoo? I know it would be expensive to get a tattoo removed, but it could be removed if I wanted the butterfly to fly away. —Enid, San Bernardino, Calif.

ENID: I realize that tattoos are in vogue for older female teens and that many parents are not thrilled with the trend. Since you are going to get that butterfly regardless of what your parents think, assure them that it will be a single tattoo and that it will not often be seen unless you are in leisure clothes.

The cost of removing a tattoo runs in the neighborhood of 10 times more than having the tattoo put on in the first place.

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.