Smoking tobacco is bad, marijuana worse
DR. WALLACE: My boyfriend and I have been dating for over a year. I love him very much and hope our relationship leads to us becoming husband and wife.
I have one bad habit. I smoke a pack of cigarettes per day and I’m always trying to stop this nasty habit, but nothing I try works. I’ve been addicted to cigarettes for over five years. My boyfriend doesn’t smoke cigarettes, but he is hooked on marijuana. He averages smoking two marijuana cigarettes a day and he has been smoking pot for over three years.
Lately, he is trying to help me get rid of my tobacco addiction by switching to smoking marijuana. He keeps telling me that smoking marijuana is less harmful than smoking cigarettes. I would appreciate knowing if this is true? — Nameless, Rock Island, Ill.
NAMELESS: Forget smoking marijuana as a way to eliminate your tobacco addiction. It appears that your boyfriend is mistaken regarding the negative health results of smoking tobacco cigarettes compared to smoking marijuana cigarettes. It isn’t even close.
According to a Harvard University study, those who smoked 10 marijuana cigarettes a week for five years had changes in their lung cells that were similar to cigarette smokers who had smoked two packs a day for 20 years.
Continue to do your very best to end your tobacco addiction and never, ever, start smoking marijuana!
Only date guys who are safe drivers
DR. WALLACE: This summer I’m allowed, for the very first time, to go on a car date. My
ROBERT WALLACE
parents want me to make sure that the guy I’ll be going out with is a safe and conscientious driver. I want that, too. I don’t want to be riding beside a reckless, unsafe jerk.
What are some of the things I should be aware of concerning driving habits before I date a “guy and his car?” — Jan, South Bend, Ind.
JAN: Many times a guy’s driving ability is part of his total personality. Guys who drive with abandon are usually well-known. If in doubt, ask around. His friends will know if the guy is a safe driver or not.
Psychologists at the University of South Hampton (England) have compiled a list of characteristics of risky male teen drivers. I think you will find it interesting and beneficial. Make sure you show the list to Mom and Dad. It might impress them that you are doing some research on the subject:
“The accident-prone teen driver thinks good driving means having fast reflexes. He had a strong desire to drive long before he reached the legal age. He spends a lot of time working on his car because he wants it to look and run great; to him, it’s more than just transportation. His driving reflects his mood. When he’s mellow, he usually is a good driver, but when he is angry, depressed, excited, or just showing off, he speeds and takes foolish risks.
“He goes out primarily with male teenage friends and is encouraged by the poor driving habits of his friends, as well as older siblings and other family members. These bad role models often include his parents.”