GIRLS: Do you smoke and enjoy the company of boys? If so, you might want to quit that nasty habit. A survey by the American Lung Association found that 78 percent of teenage boys preferred to date young ladies who are non-smokers, 19 percent had no opinion, while only 3 percent preferred to date a young lady who smoked.

A word to the wise is sufficient!

I WANT TO HEAR "I LOVE YOU"

My boyfriend and I have been going together for over two years. He is a perfect gentleman and a wonderful guy. I love him dearly and I'm really looking forward to hearing his proposal in the very near future. When he asks me to be his wife, it will take me less than a second to say "Yes!"

He's affectionate without being aggressive and I feel sure he loves me, but when we're together and I tell him I love him, he never ever says the actual words I want to hear: "I love you, too." He only says "I feel the same way," or "Me, too."

My best friend says that maybe he's not quite sure that he's in love with me, and that he may be afraid to say it in case he doesn't truly mean it. What do you think about his reluctance to say the "magic words?" — Jennna, Phoenix, Ariz.

JENNA: Some guys have trouble with those words. I doubt that Tony's reluctance to utter them means he is harboring secret doubts about the relationship. More likely, he just isn't sure what they mean. He needs your help.

The next time you two are together, tell him that you love him. But when he follows with "Me, too," gently tell him "I know you love me, but I'd like to hear you say "I love you." I'm pretty sure he will comply with your wish. The words will get easier to say once he breaks the ice.

HE WILL NEVER BE A GENTLEMAN

DR. WALLACE: I had been going with a great guy from Mexico, but when I thought I might be pregnant, he was very nervous. The next day I found out that he had told a friend that he was going back to Mexico for a visit. When I got the test results back and found out that I was not pregnant after all, I wanted to let him know..

I tried to contact him by phone at the number he had given me, but it was no longer in service. I really want to let him know that I'm not pregnant and that it was a false alarm. I love him and want him to return to me. What can I do now? — Lupe, Nogales, Ariz.

LUPE: This guy doesn't deserve your love. He is a louse, and a coward, and he will never be considered a gentleman. You might be in love with this guy at the moment, but the Good Lord permits people to fall in love more than one time.

Get busy looking for love from a nice guy, not a snake in the grass!

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.