DR. WALLACE: You stated that marijuana is a gateway drug that can lead to more potent drugs such as cocaine and heroin. That's not fact; it's just a myth. I should know. I smoke pot, but I have never, ever tried any other illegal drug! — Nameless, South Bend, Ind.

NAMELESS: It's fact, not myth, that marijuana is a gateway drug that can lead to the abuse of harder substances. In a University of Virginia survey of more than 5,000 cocaine drug addicts, over 90 percent said they started their drug use with marijuana. The fact is, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, marijuana is the most widely used illicit drug in America and tends to be the first illegal drug teens use. In a survey of high school seniors, 20.7 percent said they had used marijuana at least once in the past year.

The good news, according to the American Council for Drug Education, is that the majority of teens (72 percent) who had smoked marijuana do not go on to other illegal drugs.

IT'S NOT TOO LATE TO GET A DIPLOMA

DR. WALLACE: I'm 19 and I quit school when I turned 17 because I didn't like school and wanted to work and earn money. Even though I don't have a high school diploma, I am very intelligent. But my problem is that every time I apply for a better-paying job, I'm turned down because I do not have a high school diploma.

Some of my friends, who are not as intelligent as I am, are making more money and have a much brighter economic future than I do. I don't think it's fair that I am denied a good job because I do not have that "piece of paper."

I could have had a diploma if I had stayed in school. But I thought school was boring and a big waste of time. It's too late for me to go back to school now. What can I do to improve my chances of getting a better job? — Kenneth, Brooklyn, N.Y.

KENNETH: It's not too late for you to go back to school! Stop by your old high school and speak with a counselor. Some schools offer evening classes and all will advise you how to earn a GED, the equivalent of a high school diploma. There's absolutely no reason for you to continue to suffer the consequences of a decision you made when you were younger.

WILL SPORTS STUNT MY GROWTH?

DR. WALLACE: I'm a 15-year-old girl who has been short all my life. Presently, I am barely 5 feet tall. Both of my parents are of average height and my older brother is taller than both of them. I am actively involved in athletics and was wondering if participation in sports has stunted my growth. What do you think? — Toni, Ames, Iowa.

TONI: Your participation in athletics has not stunted your growth — not even a tiny millimeter. The two prime factors in a person's height are heredity and diet. Somewhere in your family tree was a relatively short person and the person's genes were passed on to you. Don't despair! You still have a few years left to grow taller. But, there is nothing wrong with being a healthy, robust 5 feet tall!

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.