DR. WALLACE: Last summer my friends made fun of me because they saw my dad drinking water from a garden hose while he was taking a break from mowing our large lawn.

They said he would get diseases from drinking "stenchy" water out of a backyard garden hose. I know my friends will be over at my house again this summer and they will likely see my father do this again. What can I say to get them to stop saying the things they do about my dad's health? — Dad Drinks From the Hose, via email

DAD DRINKS FROM THE HOSE: Your friends are actually doing you and your father a favor. These days most health experts do not advise drinking water from a garden hose. Why? Most garden hoses release contaminants into the water they carry along their length. Garden hoses are not manufactured specifically to be safe receptacles for water.

In fact, the Safe Water Drinking Act (SDWA) that monitors America's public drinking water supply does not regulate garden hoses at all! And we all know that when a product is not monitored for a specific purpose, there is about a zero chance that any extra money will be spent in the manufacturing process to accomplish something not required. A typical garden hose can carry many harmful compounds like lead, bromine and phthalates amongst several others. Your father is likely not aware that bromine is a flame-retardant chemical.

Do two things. One, show your father this article here and discuss with him your findings. Tell him you love him and care for his health and that you want him to always be safe in the future. Second, make him a big pitcher of safe drinking water with lots of ice and lemon or lime slices (if he likes them) and place the pitcher and a clean glass out on your back patio in the shade for him. This way when he needs a refreshing hydration break, he'll have a safe, quenching drink ready to consume. And as a bonus, your friends will no longer be making any "hose" comments since dad won't be doing that any more!

EATING FLOWERS IS CRAZY!

DR. WALLACE: I've seen in magazines that some chefs that work in very fancy restaurants like those in Hollywood, New York or Las Vegas sometimes put flowers on the plates of food they serve.

Then the people who order these dishes actually eat these flowers! It all sounds gross to me; I would never do that. Why do some people eat flowers? Is it kind of like a dare, like those reality television shows where people eat live worms or deep-fried crickets with soy sauce? — Totally Grossed-Out Teen, via email

TOTALLY GROSSED-OUT TEEN: The rule of thumb is that anything placed on a plate in a restaurant is safe and edible. The flowers you are referring to are indeed edible as well as aesthetic.

The chefs at these top restaurants want their plates to look as colorful and beautiful as possible, but their customers often enjoy the novelty of eating a few edible flowers along with the dish they've ordered.

This is a harmless practice and definitely not a dare. There is no correlation at all between these gourmet, artistic culinary dishes and the salacious television show stunts you've referred to.

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.

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