DR. WALLACE: Our school has a rule that students are not to kiss each other on school grounds. If caught, the first punishment is an hour's detention for both kissers. If caught in an amorous position a second time, the "criminals" are suspended for the day. I think this is a very stupid rule. My boyfriend and I had to spend an hour of our Saturday morning at school serving detention. It was a very boring hour. There was no talking out loud, and cell phones weren't permitted. What the world needs is a lot more kisses and hugs and a lot less violence, crime and wars. My mom and dad kiss at least once a day, and they are very much in love. Our big crime to warrant this boring hour of detention was a kiss on the cheek from me to him. Our vice principal happened to witness this "terrible" behavior and punished us so we would "think about our crime."
I read your column regularly and know that you are a former high school administrator. Did you allow a couple to kiss on your campus without being penalized? I'll bet you did. — Romantic, New York
ROMANTIC: You would have lost your bet. Kissing and other forms of affection were banned at my high school when I was there. It was not that I thought that kissing was "terrible behavior." But kissing at school often caused students to block halls and campus walkways. This was a major problem for the nearly 3,000 students rushing to class before the tardy bell rang. I'm a big fan of love and affection, but not on a 40-acre campus. I was a tad more compassionate for kissers than your administrator. The first "offense" was a warning. The second was a call to the parents telling them that kissing was not permitted on school grounds and explaining why the rule was in place and enforced. The parents were then asked to discuss this with their teens to see that the demonstration of love at school ended. If it didn't, the student would be suspended. We provided a few opportunities for students to stop the behavior before punitive actions were taken.
It's wonderful that your parents kiss every day. That's an endearing way for them to show their love for one another in view of the family. But I'm sure most of the kissing is done at home and not at mom or dad's workstation with many familiar employees watching the smooch!
SMOKING IS STILL DANGEROUS
DR. WALLACE: I read in a teen magazine that the nicotine and tar levels in cigarettes have declined a lot in the last 25 years. If that's true, cigarettes shouldn't be as dangerous today as they were way back then. So why are we today still being hyped that smoking is bad? It seems like cigarettes are safer than they once were. I'm interested in this because I'm a smoker who has tried to quit a dozen times, but so far I've failed. I'm also concerned about my health. — Smoker, Birmingham, Alabama
SMOKER: Since you are quite rightly concerned about your health, you must find a way to give up your smoking habit.
It's true that tar and nicotine levels are a bit lower today, but smoking is still dangerous and potentially deadly. That's because American smokers (especially women) now smoke more cigarettes, inhale them more deeply and start smoking at a much earlier age than in the past. In fact, according to the University of California Wellness Center, smoking-related deaths are more frequent today than ever before, even if cigarettes' nicotine levels are lower today. Simply put, smoking has always been dangerous for one's health — and still is.
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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