DR. WALLACE: I'm 17, soon to be 18, and a good student. I've worked hard in high school and now have the grades that allow me to attend college next year. The good news is that I have been accepted to the University of California, Santa Barbara, well over 100 miles away from our home. My dad wants me to attend UC Irvine, which is only 5 miles away from here, so I can live at home, and he can keep an eye on me. Why? Because my older brother went away to college, and he messed up and got into some fairly big trouble there.

I want to attend my preferred school of UCSB, not UCI. What do you think? Should I be held back just because my older brother didn't behave well? — Want To Be a Gaucho, via email

WANT TO BE A GAUCHO: I do agree that you should not be punished for your brother's failures. If you and your parents can afford the extra cost of attending UCSB, you should, in my opinion, be permitted to attend the university you feel is the best fit.

Each and every individual should be judged and considered upon his or her own merits. If your father had a sibling that did something wrong when he was a young man, he certainly would not have wanted that to impact his life decisions either. The key to his decision will be your character and track record up to this point. If you've been a responsible teen, which I trust you have, then you should be trusted accordingly.

ALCOHOL AND TEENS DON'T MIX

DR. WALLACE: I'm a teen who does not drink alcohol, but I feel you are too dogmatic in your crusade against teen drinking. I understand that many doctors actually prescribe wine for their patients for certain purposes and circumstances. Isn't it OK for some people to sip (not chug!) a little red wine here and there? My mom seems to like it and never abuses it, and even my father has an occasional cocktail after work or at a party. My teen friends who drink usually do so responsibly, even though there is this one guy at our school who always drinks until he throws up. — Nondrinking Teen Who Doesn't Judge, via email

NONDRINKING TEEN: A small amount of wine can have some benefits, but pure grape juice or cranberry juice can produce the same results. Alcohol is highly addictive to some individuals and has, unfortunately, ruined the lives of many drinkers, their families and others who come into contact with them. In cases where drivers are under the influence of alcohol, the lives of innocent victims are sometimes lost or permanently altered.

Even if "social" drinkers never become intoxicated, possible harm to their bodies can still occur due to the variance in every person's bodily chemistry.

Alcohol is loaded with empty calories and offers essentially no nourishment. Yes, adults over 21 can make their own decisions regarding alcohol, but they should do so very carefully and judiciously.

Based on the stacks of letters I've received over the decades documenting teen alcohol consumption, I'll continue to encourage teens to avoid all forms of alcohol.

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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