DR. WALLACE: I'm a 20-year-old woman and I'd like to warn other young women that drugs and pregnancy don't mix.

Tyler and I were married soon after we graduated from high school. At that time, I smoked a little pot and that was all. I was introduced to cocaine by a "friend' who worked in the same office where I worked. Two months after I took my first hit, I had become a heavy user.

Then when I became pregnant, my husband and I were thrilled and immediately started planning for our baby. Tyler is a craftsman and started making wooden baby toys for our baby and I started making a baby quilt.

But soon, our happiness turned to sorrow because I lost the baby due to the fact that I had continued using cocaine. This long painful story ended when my husband left me, my parents disowned me, and even my closest friends deserted me because I'm still addicted, and still using. My life is on the verge of being totally ruined and I pray every night that something or somebody will help me overcome this killer habit.

I want to warn teens that this could happen to any one of them if they start messing with drugs. I urge all teens to do everything in their power to avoid turning out like I did. Believe me, it is no way to live your life! — Nameless, Miami, Fla.

NAMELESS: Thanks for caring enough to give words of wisdom to impressionable teens. By reaching out to others, you may have just taken the first step in saving yourself.

There is still hope for you. Addictions can be overcome, but you need to get support and treatment. If you have nowhere else to turn, please call the National Institute on Drug Abuse Treatment Referral Hotline at (800) 662-HELP.

And, by all means, keep praying. If you believe in your heart that the Almighty will help you, miracles can happen.

SHAME ON OUR EDUCATIONAL SYSTEM

DR. WALLACE: I am a former high school teacher and I'm aghast at the lack of knowledge our students possess in the area of geography. With our ever-changing world, one would think that American students would be able to pick out Australia when shown the various world continents. Shame on our educational system! — Teacher, Chicago, Ill.

TEACHER: You might have retired too soon to notice an improvement in this area. It's true that American students were deficient in their geography knowledge, but several years ago the American schools placed a greater emphasis on geography and today geography is included in most high school curricula.

A geography test of 13-year-olds in nine countries was conducted by the Educational Testing Service. American 13-year-olds answered an average of 62 percent of the questions correctly. Students in Canada, Hungary, Russia and Slovenia, on average, did better. Students in Spain, Korea, Ireland and Scotland scored lower.

This improvement in the knowledge is encouraging and should continue.

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.