DR. WALLACE: My best friend in high school lives at home with his two parents, who are both drug addicts. I don't think they are shooting up heroin or anything like that, but they apparently take prescription painkillers regularly in large quantities and are quite unreliable. One works from home, and the other one is a musician who works until late in the night.

My friend and I are both 17, and we played on our high school boys basketball team together when we were freshmen, although neither one of us plays sports at our school any longer.

He spends a lot of time at my house, as he likes to be away from his family home as much as possible. Recently, my father noticed that he was hanging around more and more, and he even asked me why my friend was staying so late into the evening. I just told my dad that the two of us like to hang out together.

Should I say anything about what's happening with his parents, or should I just keep that quiet for now? — His Home Life Is Awful, via email

HIS HOME LIFE IS AWFUL: Yes, you should at an appropriate time mention to your father that it's indeed true that the two of you like hanging out together, but he's probably spending more time than usual at your home because of the situation going on with his parents.

This would open the door to your father having a conversation with your friend, and from there, whatever results is out of your control, but I trust your father would be prudent and logical once he truly understands what's going on. In no way is your friend at fault at all.

This may also alleviate some of the pressure that could be placed on you by your parents for having a friend hang out at your house so often and so late into the evening.

MY FRIEND SEES A LOT ON HIS JOB, AND HE TELLS EVERYONE!

DR. WALLACE: I'm a college student, and my best friend works on a river transport boat. This boat travels across the water and across the state line to a casino on the other shore from our town.

He obviously sees many people coming and going at all hours of the day, but what bothers me is that I see him talking at school about who he saw going back and forth on the boat. I personally don't feel that is appropriate, as it's no one else's business. I mentioned this to my friend, but his comment back to me is that these people are obviously going out in public where they can be seen on the boat, so he's not saying anything that isn't true or available for other people to witness. Do you think my friend is out of line here? — Not Comfortable He Tells Everyone, via email

NOT COMFORTABLE HE TELLS EVERYONE: The difference between you and your friend is that you have a natural sense of discretion and don't feel the need to tell everyone else's business to your friends and acquaintances.

Some people, like your friend, feel they get a measure of social capital by sharing stories and news throughout the community as a topic of conversation. Some people have a natural sense of discretion, whereas others do not.

What your friend is saying is indeed true, that these people are going on a public boat where anyone nearby can see them coming and going, including other passengers. But to openly talk and gossip about everything that he's seeing on the boat puts him in the position of perhaps having something boomerang back to him at a time when he would least expect it.

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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