DR. WALLACE: You have convinced our father to stop smoking cigarettes. He hasn't had a cigarette in over a month. We thought he had his smoking habit whipped, but now he's smoking cigars because his boss, who also smokes cigars, told him that cigar smoking is much less of a health hazard than cigarette smoking. We know that's not true, but our dad won't believe us. However, he probably will if he hears it from you.

Please help us out. We love our father and don't want to lose him because someone gave him bad information. — Nameless, Greensboro, N.C.

NAMELESS: Your father is a fortunate parent to have loving children who care so much about his health. According to the Mayo Clinic Health Letter, a recent study by The National Cancer Institute found that people who smoke cigars daily have about the same risk of mouth and throat cancer as cigarette smokers. Regular cigar smoking also increases the risk of lung cancer, lung disease and coronary heart disease. More study is needed to determine health risks for occasional (less than daily) cigar smokers.

Mayo Clinic doctors welcomed the report, noting that cigars are just another form of an addictive drug. When it comes to secondhand smoke, cigars are bad news indeed. They produce clouds of thick smoke containing the same cancer-causing agents as cigarettes, but in much higher concentration.

The report also noted that cigar sales have increased 50 percent in the past five years. This increase coincides with stepped-up promotional activities, many aimed at women, who think that smoking cigars is the height of fashion for the "modern female."

OK, Dad, you've got the straight scoop on the dangers of smoking that cigar. Please do your children, yourself, and other family members (including pets) a huge favor and abandon the cigar habit. Your family thanks you!

THANKS, BUT NO THANKS

DR. WALLACE: I'm in the 11th grade. I have wonderful parents who do their very best to see that I'm a healthy, happy, well-educated young woman.

Last week my mother called the principal and asked if she and my dad could chaperone the Junior-Senior formal winter dance. They wanted to share the evening with my date and me. They were surprised when they were told, "Thanks, but no thanks."

Why wouldn't a school welcome parent chaperones? My parents and I can't figure it out. Since you are a former high school principal, maybe you can explain the reason my parents were not allowed to be chaperones at our school. — Nameless, Jacksonville, Fla.

NAMELESS: Parents were not allowed to be chaperones at high school functions when I was a principal at Garden Grove, (California) High School. All chaperones had to be credentialed teachers, counselors, or administrators because only they would have the legal authority to deal with problems that might arise.

However, parents were welcome to visit all student gatherings on campus. The maximum length of the visit was 15 minutes and the parents had to sign up for a pass a day before the function they wanted to attend. This was a popular program and served the students and parents very well.

Formal dances were very popular with parents. It brought back good memories for them. And, in case you were wondering, the parents were encouraged to dance, and many did. Another rule for formal dances was that the guests had to be properly dressed — suits and ties for the fathers, and at least a semi-formal gown for the mothers. It seemed like a lot of trouble for only 15 minutes, but many felt that it was well-worth the effort.

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 rwallace@thegreatestgift.com. 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.