DR. WALLACE: My new name is now Holly. I legally changed it yesterday. I'm 18 and have graduated from high school and I have a part-time job as a food server. I plan to enter college in September 2017. I was given the first name of Hortence, which I havedespised my entire life. I was named for my father's mother, grandma Hortence, and even she didn't like her name. My middle name is Helen, so I keep my initials of H.H.H. I think that's cool.

My high school diploma has my Hortence name on it. I'd like my high school to change my name on my records to Holly instead of Hortence. How can this be done? — Holly, Atlanta, Ga.

HOLLY: Present a copy of your legal name change to your high school and they will place a note on your transcripts regarding your name change. It's a very simple procedure and your high school will be glad to accommodate your request.

SMOKELESS TOBACCO IS DANGEROUS

DR. WALLACE: I'm 19, married and the father of a two-year-old son. I don't smoke, but I do use "snuff," but only when I'm at work. "Snuff" is like a powdery chewing tobacco. You don't chew it; it just rests on the gums under the teeth. The snuff is never swallowed. All the juice it causes is spit out. I sort of like the tingle it gives.

My wife thinks that "snuff" is unhealthy and wants me to stop using it. I promised her that I would dump the "snuff" if it's dangerous to my health. All of the guys in the crew that I work with use "snuff." That's how I got started. They all look healthy! — Tony, Uniontown, Pa.

TONY: Listen to your wife! According to the Academy of General Dentistry, smokeless tobacco (snuff) is just as addictive as cigarettes and causes gum disease and cancer. While cigarette use has declined, reports indicate smokeless tobacco use has increased.

Moist, brown smokeless tobacco (snuff and chewing tobacco) is more dangerous than cigarettes because users absorb 250 times more cancer-causing agents, reports the U.S. Surgeon General's office.

The cancer caused by smokeless tobacco shows up on the gums, tongues and throats of the users. Keep your promise and eliminate "snuff" from your life - forever! "Snuff" used to be a favorite of major league baseball players - but not anymore!

FIND A MATE IN WASHINGTON STATE

DR. WALLACE: I'm a college senior majoring in elementary education. I've always dreamed of being a teacher. I'd also like to marry a guy who is in education. Since most teachers are female, what state has the highest percentage of male teachers? I think I would seriously consider teaching there. — Cynthia, Hammond, Ind.

CYNTHIA: The National Education Association informs us that 65 percent of all teachers in the United States — 68 percent in Canada —-are women. Avoid South Carolina if you want to marry a guy who is an educator. In that lovely state only 10 percent are male.

Instead, head for the beautiful state of Washington, where women educators outnumber male educators by a more favorable 6 to 4 ratio. In your state of Indiana, female teachers outnumber male teachers 5 to 3.

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.