DR. WALLACE: I'm 13 years old and my parents have emphasized the rule that I should never, ever drink alcohol or take any drugs. They've told me that one pill could even kill me.

So now I know all about what to avoid and of course I have no intentions of drinking alcohol or taking any pills or drugs. I'm actually a good student who is happy and has some good friends that I like to hang out with.

What I want to know is, why can my father drink alcohol but tell me not to? I don't want to drink it, but I think he is saying one thing and doing another thing here.

Do you agree? He drinks exactly two "cocktails" at home every Friday night. He says he does this to "take the edge off" after his long working week. My mother does not drink at all. But dad will have these same two cocktails every Friday night. He does not drink them on any other day. The only other alcohol I've seen him drink is a glass of red wine at our relatives' houses over the holidays like Thanksgiving, Christmas and even New Year's Day. But the rest of the year, I never see him drink any wine.

Do you think my dad is an alcoholic because he drinks two alcoholic drinks every Friday night? My mom tells me he is not an alcoholic, so now I'm confused. — 13 and a 'Non-drinker,' via email

13 AND A 'NON-DRINKER': Based on what you have shared in your letter, I'd say your father is a "social drinker" but not an alcoholic. This means he only drinks moderately, occasionally and can control his consumption of alcohol.

I agree it seems hypocritical for him to tell you not to drink alcohol at all, but he is right in this regard. Not only is it illegal for anyone under 21 years of age to consume or possess alcohol, it's wise for all teenagers to allow for their physical, mental and emotional development to be unimpeded by the consumption of alcohol or any other substance that causes impairment.

Both your mother and father are correct here, as long as your father does not consume alcohol to excess or has its consumption start to affect his life or the lives of those around him in a negative manner.

I WANT TO HONOR JIMMY BY PRACTICING SUN SAFETY

DR. WALLACE: I'm a teenager who just turned 19 who loves a lot of what I call "old-time" music from the decades of the '60s, '70s, '80s and '90s. I especially love the beach, sun, surf and sailing vibe, so I've always been a big fan of Jimmy Buffett's music along with that of many other artists, like the Beach Boys, Dick Dale and Bob Marley.

Therefore, I was very sad to hear that Jimmy Buffett passed away recently from what I understand was skin cancer. I know he spent a lot of time in the sun during his life.

In honor of him, can you please give me your tips about staying as safe as reasonably possible from the sun's rays? — Big fan of Jimmy's, via email

BIG FAN OF JIMMY'S: Let's start with the misconception that a lot of sun exposure provides much-needed vitamin D. The truth is that a typical person can absorb enough vitamin D within five to 10 minutes of daily sun exposure — that's all! And this short time frame of absorption is still possible when using sunscreen first, so take note of this.

Sun damage can occur at any time, but it definitely makes sense to limit sun exposure when the sun's rays are at their strongest. In most cases, this means between 11 a.m. and 4 p.m. in our Northern Hemisphere.

In addition, it makes sense to apply sunscreen daily when planning to spend more than a few minutes outdoors and to seek regular shade breaks whenever possible.

Also wear clothing that shields you from the sun, including a hat with a brim large enough to shade your face. Sunglasses also offer valuable eye protection.

The most important way to reduce the risk of developing skin cancers, including the Merkel cell carcinoma that Buffett suffered from, is to limit your exposure to the sun's UV radiation. You should regularly practice sun safety via the tips we've outlined here, especially when you plan to spend a lot of time outdoors in direct sunshine.

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.

Photo credit: Timur Romanov at Unsplash