University of Virginia Library

DR. HIP—pocrates

Alternating Hepatitis Shots
And A Few Shots Of Vodka

Dear Dr. Schoenfeld:

If a woman of 42 drinks 4
to 5 bottles of vodka every
week and gets a shot every 2
weeks for hepatitis, won't she
get immune to those shots?

She has to have them. What
would happen if she couldn't
get them anymore How long
can a person last like
that?—R.L.

ANSWER: Anyone who
drinks that much hard liquor
has a severe drug habit. I can't
tell from your letter what
those "shots" could be, but
chances are they will neither
prevent alchohol-induced
hepatitis nor help cure it. It's
hard to say how long the
woman you describe will live.
Alcoholism can cause a slow
painful death which isn't
pleasant to observe.

Dear Dr. Schoenfeld:

Should a girl refuse to
marry a fellow because he
won't give up smoking pot?
This upsets me very much. He
is a daily smoker. Could his
smoking be detrimental to our
unborn child?

Could daily smoking of pot
cause a person to be very
negative in his thinking and
unable to make important
decisions regarding his
life?—W.S.

ANSWER: Marijuana use by
a prospective father is not
known to be harmful to his
unborn child. There is a chance
the fetus may be damaged if its
mother uses marijuana when
she is pregnant.

Babies seem to be very
sensitive to marijuana in room
smoke or mother's milk. At
least one mother has noticed
her breast-fed baby develops
the "munchies" when exposed
to marijuana.

If a person thinks negatively
and finds it hard to make
decisions, marijuana may
increase these tendencies,
especially with frequent use.

I can't tell you how to live.
Write to Dear Abby. She'll give
you a predictable answer.

Photo By John Buescher