DR. WALLACE: I'm engaged to a wonderful guy. I love him with all of my heart and soul and I told him that we would become husband and wife when I'm convinced he has eliminated his nasty habit of smoking. It's not so much that I dislike the smell of smoke, but it's the health hazard smoking causes for the smoker and those who are unfortunate to be close enough to breathe it.

I will admit that my guy has been doing all he can to stop smoking. Finally, he thinks he has come up with the right answer — clove cigarettes.

Are cloves better to smoke than tobacco? I would rather have him eliminate all smoking, but if smoking cloves would be better than smoking tobacco, then at least he is making progress. Do you agree? I'd also like to know exactly what are clove cigarettes? — Nameless, Denver, Colo.

NAMELESS: Clove cigarettes are trying to make a comeback and make lots of money for the company that manufactures them. Actually, clove cigarettes consist of 60 percent tobacco and 40 percent cloves. They are also more expensive than regular cigarettes and come 10 to a pack. To make matters worse, according to the Centers for Disease Control, clove cigarettes are more hazardous to one's health than tobacco cigarettes.

Before your boyfriend finds some other smoking material, tell him firmly, that smoking, regardless of the material puffed, is not acceptable and the marriage will be delayed until he is smoke-(any kind)free. I realize that eliminating the smoking habit is difficult, but when the prize is you... you get what I mean.

MOTHER IS A SNOOPER

DR. WALLACE: I'm 14 and have a boy pen pal who lives in Ft. Walton Beach, Fla. We write to each other about twice a month. He seems to be a real nice guy and I enjoy sharing letters with him. We write about our community, our school, athletics, music, food and dating. We have exchanged photographs, so we know what the other person looks like. Kyle, who is 15, and I have been pen pals for over a year and we hope to keep writing to each other for a long time to come.

My problem is my mother. Whenever a letter from Kyle comes addressed to me, my mother opens and reads it before she gives it to me. This really bothers me. I keep telling her I don't appreciate her opening and reading my personal mail, but she just smiles and says, "I'm the mother and I'll open any letter delivered to this address — like it or not." I could have Kyle write to me at my friend's address, but that annoys me, too.

I've been reading your column long enough to know that you will agree that parents should not snoop and pry into their teen's personal affairs. Please print my letter because I want my mother to see her mistake in black and white. — Nameless, DeKalb, Ill.

NAMELESS: Parents should trust their children until such time the trust is broken. That doesn't mean parents shouldn't be aware of what their teens are doing and who they are doing it with, but they should not be "snoopers." Opening a daughter's pen pal letter qualifies as being a "snooper."

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.