DR. WALLACE: I'm a parent of two young teenagers, and I've managed to get both of them really mad at me. Why? Because I refuse to buy them "motorized bicycles" due to the inherent danger they pose to young children.

My kids tell me that they promise to always wear helmets, but that's not enough for me. I see firsthand the speeds these bicycles go, and it scares the daylights out of me. I almost opened my car door in a parking lot right in front of a boy on one of these bikes last weekend. We barely averted an accident, and he just whizzed on by and never even looked back! What really made me pause was that he looked to be about 9 or 10 years old at most.

Where are his parents? I can't believe the risks these kids take on a daily basis. Am I out of line with my thinking here? — One Stunned Parent, via email

ONE STUNNED PARENT: This is a decision many parents make these days. You are not alone with your concerns. The speeds these electric bikes can reach is usually much higher than a young teen could generate by simply pedaling.

These bikes are indeed useful, especially for adults in metro and rural areas, but they are powerful and must be ridden carefully and defensively.

Injuries sustained from electric bike accidents are often more severe than pedal bicycle accidents and have a higher chance of internal organ damage similar to a motorcycle accident.

Studies have shown that riders on e-bikes are also more likely to injure other people, especially pedestrians who cross their path. When and if a parent should allow a teenager to drive an e-bike is a personal family decision. In many ways, riding these "bicycles" is more like riding a motorcycle than it is like riding the old bicycles from years ago.

SHOULD WE SAY ANYTHING?

DR. WALLACE: My brother is smoking cigarettes and hiding it from our parents, but my little sister and I know because we've seen him smoking multiple times in our backyard.

He's going to turn 18 in about three months, and if my father knew he's doing this, he'd kick him out of the house right now.

Should we say anything, or just keep quiet? I'm 13 and my sister is 11. We don't want to cause family trouble, but we hate to see our brother mess up his body by smoking. — We're Not Sure What to Do, via email

WE'RE NOT SURE: Thank you for your email describing your situation. You didn't mention whether your brother is aware that you saw him. If he did, he'll likely know that one of you mentioned something (unless your father catches him in the act).

Therefore, it may be best at this point to say nothing for now. It may not be too long until your brother either moves out of the family house, or until your father finds out about the smoking on his own. Either way, the two of them can resolve the situation without any involvement from the two of you.

However, please don't take my advice in this one situation as an endorsement for smoking, because it absolutely is not. Smoking is very dangerous and harmful over time. There will likely be an appropriate point in time when the two of you can both tell your brother that you love him and wish he would quit smoking so that he can remain as healthy as possible.

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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