DR. WALLACE: I'm 16 and a pretty good kid. Yes, I have tried alcohol and marijuana, but I'm not addicted to anything. In fact, I haven't tried alcohol or marijuana in over five months. I have experimented with this stuff just to find out what it felt like to try them. Actually, I didn't enjoy my experiments.
Last week my mom asked me if I've ever tried drugs or alcohol and I was honest and told her that I tried both but that I am not involved in either. I told her that for about two weeks five months ago I tried beer, wine and a couple of mixed drinks just to discover what it felt like to consume alcohol. Also during that time I told her I smoked about a dozen joints. I promised that since then I have been totally "clean."
After my admission I asked mom if she ever tried drugs. (I know that she tried alcohol because she is now a social drinker.) She looked at me with a shocked look on her face and then started to cry. I really felt like a knucklehead and also felt sorry for her.
Should I ask her again at another time if she took drugs when she was younger? Mom and my younger sister and I form our family. My parents are divorced and we have no contact with our father. — Nameless, Orlando, Fl.
NAMELESS: It's possible that mom did give drugs a try when she was a teen and if she did, it would be important for her to share drug use with you and your sister so you both can learn from the negative experiences she had.
It's obvious that she has been drug-free for quite some time. She should be praised for this and your sister and you should tell your mom how much you love her and both give her a big hug!
DAD IS LOVED BY EVERYONE
DR. WALLACE: I read your column regularly so I know you encourage teens not to smoke. I'm 15 and really concerned about my dad. He is 44 and has been smoking since he was 14. That's 30 long years. I've done everything possible to get him to stop smoking. I love him dearly and want him to walk down the aisle with me holding his arm as he gives me away to the man I love. I don't know if he will last that long.
Dad smokes at least two packs of cigarettes a day. He owns the best automobile repair shop in town. No matter when I stop by to see him, he has a cigarette hanging out of his mouth — even when he is working under the hood of a car. My dad is a wonderful father and husband. He is funny, considerate and very compassionate. Everybody who knows him loves him.
What can I do to get dad to quit smoking before it's too late? I also don't want my mom to wind up a young widow just because her husband is addicted to nicotine. — Daughter, via email
DAUGHTER: Nicotine is an extremely powerful drug, but smokers who have the will to quit can succeed in ending the nicotine habit. You can do all in your power to get dad to stop smoking, but it's up to him to make that decision.
Make sure dad reads this column. Cut it out of the newspaper or print it out if you read it online and tape it to the refrigerator so he can read it every day. A wonderful dad and husband who is loved dearly by his family must do everything possible to ensure he is staying healthy. He has many important future decisions to make to keep his family safe and happy.
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. E-mail 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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