DR. WALLACE: I recycle newspapers and paper products because I want to help our environment by saving our wonderful trees. And, of course, I also enjoy getting the bonus of being paid money for selling these paper products. I thought I was in a win-win situation. But I saw a television program that talked about tree farms, and it said that recycling newspaper products is not saving our trees.

Are conservation advocates like me actually being fooled? Is it worth my time to recycle paper and paper products these days? I do my best to only buy paper products that are made from recycled paper! — Serious Recycler, via email

SERIOUS RECYCLER: Almost all of our paper comes from the many tree farms in the United States and Canada. Because of these farms, there are more trees growing in these two countries compared to 100 years ago. It's true that recycling paper and paper products is not primarily for the conservation of forests; instead, it reduces landfill waste, which, in turn, helps our environment. But there is actually more good news for you to focus on. Each ton (2,000 pounds) of recycled paper saves approximately 17 trees, 380 gallons of oil, 4,000 kilowatts of energy and 7,000 gallons of water. These additional savings occur because paper is far easier to break down than wood is; therefore, it takes much less energy and water to do so!

I absolutely encourage you to continue recycling paper products and purchasing recycled paper products. It's people like you who are helping make our world a better place, so keep up your good and valuable work!

ALCOHOL INDEED IS A DEPRESSANT

DR. WALLACE: You've often said in the past that alcohol is a depressant. I don't drink much, but when I occasionally do have a drink, I get a good feeling that I would best describe as a "rush." It actually makes me feel more talkative, energetic and happy — at least while I am under its delicious effects. Now, I know some people talk about suffering hangovers, but since I only drink moderately and occasionally, I have not had any hangovers, and I can honestly tell you that I have never once felt depressed! Am I the exception to the rule, or am I only fooling myself? In some other areas of my life, I have been known to sometimes fool myself, and if I can help it, I won't get fooled again! — Careful, Occasional Drinker, via email

CAREFUL, OCCASIONAL DRINKER: Alcohol is absolutely considered a depressant drug by the medical field, and the temporary "rush" you experience will gradually be shorter-lived if you continue to drink a "moderate amount." This means that as you go forward, you'll likely need a bit more consumption to achieve the "rush" you describe, so my warning to you is to be very, very careful in assuming that you'll continue having the same experiences going forward that you've had in the past.

Alcohol ultimately slows down vital activities of the central nervous system, and in time, its sedative effects begin to take over, and the rush fades. You did not mention your age in your letter, which leads me to believe you might be under the legal age to consume alcohol in the first place. If this is the case, you already know that I'll advise you to stop underage drinking immediately. If you are of legal age, then you are old enough and wise enough to do more research on the effects of alcohol on the human body. So, be very, very careful not to assume you'll be immune to serious side effects. You are already mentioning that you feel a "rush," which may indicate you're drinking more than you realize on the occasions that you do elect to drink in the first place.

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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