DR. WALLACE: I'm 20 and disagree with a piece of advice you gave a 17-year-old "social" drinker. You told him to stop drinking completely. Your advice only reflects society's misunderstanding of young people in our culture. Why is it wrong for a teen to be a social drinker, but OK for an adult to be one? Think about that one for a while. — Jed, Bloomington, Ind.

JED: Who says it's OK for adults to be social drinkers? Not me! The whole world would be a better place to live in if it were devoid of all alcohol!

I'll agree that there can be a few positives regarding alcohol consumption. A small glass of red wine can help keep the heart healthy. But the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, says grape juice can be equally effective.

However, the destruction caused by the consumption of alcohol is devastating. When I was a high school principal, I spent time with parents who lost a son who was killed driving home from football practice when his car was hit head-on by a drunk driver. I visited a home where a teen was physically abused by a drunken father who was wonderful when sober. These are but two of the many unpleasant alcohol-related memories during my tenure as a high school administrator.

I think it is safe to say that everyone over the age of 12 knows someone whose life has been negatively affected by alcohol. The small benefit of drinking alcohol is overpowered by the destruction of human life caused by one drink too many.

I MADE A VERY BAD DECISION

DR. WALLACE: I am a prisoner and will be for two more years. I'm married and have two lovely daughters and a wonderful wife. I'm locked up because I made a very bad decision two years ago, and I'm now paying for my stupid behavior. When I'm free, I'm going to walk the "straight and narrow" for the rest of my life. I love my wife and daughters more than I can tell you. They are my inspiration to go on living.

Several months ago, you told a girl not to wait for her boyfriend who was sentenced to prison for seven years. You were wrong when you said that those waiting for prisoners to be released are actually prisoners themselves. Did you really mean that? My wife is waiting for me, and she is in no way a prisoner. — Nameless, Somewhere in Texas.

NAMELESS: An 18-year-old girl wrote that her boyfriend had been sentenced to prison for a term not to exceed nine years. She asked me if I thought she should be faithful to him and wait for him to be released. I advised her to live her life and not to wait nine years to renew the relationship.

But if she had been married to the prisoner, loved him, and felt that his criminal ways had ended, I would have encouraged her to wait for him, staying active, taking classes, attending church and spending time with friends.

I'm thrilled that your family is your inspiration, and I wish you many happy, productive years as a model citizen.

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@galesburg.net. 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.