DEAR ABBY: I'm writing to raise awareness about a serious and widespread problem -- student credit card debt. Young adults, who are often "credit card illiterate," are inundated with credit card offers once they set foot on college campuses.

Parents need to understand that their college-bound teens will be able to obtain multiple credit cards even if they have no prior credit history, no employment and no co-signer. Many students then face life-altering consequences because of excessive credit card debt, such as dropping out of school, defaulting on school loans, or graduating with a poor credit rating or looming bankruptcy. Credit card debt can also cause psychological depression and contribute to lower GPAs and increased substance abuse.

It is vital that parents educate their children about responsible credit card use BEFORE they leave for college. Financial literacy should also be taught in high schools so that young adults fully understand the costs of credit and the consequences of irresponsible credit card use. Students who graduate with poor credit ratings are likely to have difficulty renting apartments and receiving competitive-rate loans. They may even have limited employment opportunities.

Thank you for sharing this important information with your readers. -- CAROL A. CAROLAN, Ph.D., CENTER FOR STUDENT CREDIT CARD EDUCATION INC.

DEAR DR. CAROLAN: I hope both parents and students will heed your message. An important lesson learned last year by a college senior bears repeating. Read on:

DEAR ABBY: In my freshman year, I was bombarded with credit card applications promising great rates and free merchandise for signing up. I couldn't resist accepting, but promised myself I would use credit cards only for emergencies.

I am now about to graduate and owe several thousand dollars on my credit cards and have nothing to show for it. If I pay only the minimum each month, it will take me 12 years to pay off what I owe. I wish I had been given the following tips:

(1) Live within your means.

(2) If you cannot pay cash for a meal at a restaurant, do not eat out. Eat at the school cafeteria or make a sandwich.

(3) The new CD or DVD you want will still be around when you can afford it. Listen to the radio or rent a movie.

(4) Rather than going to a club or movie with a group of friends, find inexpensive activities (like playing cards or board games) and spend your evening enjoying them. You'll be amazed at what you can save.

(5) If your college offers a class on managing credit and credit cards -- take it! If you have already resolved never to rely on credit, it will reinforce that intelligent decision.

I hope you deem this letter important enough to print, Abby. Credit card debt is a huge problem for many college students. I should know; I'm one of them. -- COLLEGE SENIOR WHO LEARNED THE HARD WAY

To order "How to Write Letters for All Occasions," send a business-sized, self-addressed envelope, plus check or money order for $5 (U.S. funds) to: Dear Abby -- Letter Booklet, P.O. Box 447, Mount Morris, IL 61054-0447. (Postage is included in the price.)

DEAR ABBY: I have a terrible problem. I had an affair with my pastor. (I'll call him Pastor Jones.) It began as a one-night stand but lasted for more than a year. Pastor Jones is married with six children. I'm also married and the mother of two.

Unfortunately, I have fallen deeply in love with him. We both know it's wrong. We have prayed together many times, asking God to forgive us for our sexual relationship and for breaking the Seventh Commandment. But no matter how hard we fought temptation, somehow we always ended up between the sheets.

It became too painful for me to attend church on Sundays, knowing that I'd had carnal sex on Saturday night with the man speaking from the pulpit. I was also uncomfortable watching other church members tithe 10 percent of their hard-earned money, unaware that Pastor Jones was pocketing a sizable percentage to finance his lavish lifestyle.

I finally stopped attending his church. I don't believe in playing with God, and I want so badly to do what is right. However, Pastor Jones still comes around my workplace to "visit," and I continue to have a weakness for him. He is smart, funny and very handsome. My temptation is stronger than ever.

Every minute of every day I remind myself that I love my husband and our children. Please advise me how to fight this powerful urge that will surely give me a first-class ticket to hell. Sign me ... FALLEN AND WANT TO GET UP

DEAR FALLEN: Pastor Jones is a thief and a hypocrite who deserves to be atoning in a correctional institution rather than preaching in a house of God.

Ask God for forgiveness, and also for the strength to stay away from the "Pastard." Then talk to your husband. The two of you should report Pastor Jones to your church headquarters. They need to know that the man they have in the pulpit is dipping into the collection plate ... and more.

DEAR ABBY: A few months ago, I met "Barry and Maryann," a married couple who work in the same office I do. They've been married for 10 years. We've become good friends and the three of us spend a lot of time socially. Barry and Maryann have both confided to me that they're unhappy in their marriage.

This morning, Barry called me at home and told me that he has feelings for me. It made me uncomfortable because I am friends with both Barry and Maryann. How do I suggest they seek marriage counseling when one of them has a "thing" for me -- and the other doesn't know there's a problem?

I want to be friends with both of them. Help. -- AT A LOSS IN LAS VEGAS

DEAR AT A LOSS: Since the husband has come on to you, a friendship with them may no longer be possible. Tell Barry that although you like him and his wife, as friends and co-workers, his romantic feelings are not reciprocated. Then urge him to take Maryann and get marriage counseling because confiding their problems in you is neither productive nor a solution to them. You'll be doing them both a favor.

What teens need to know about sex, drugs, AIDS and getting along with peers and parents is in "What Every Teen Should Know." To order, send a business-sized, self-addressed envelope, plus check or money order for $5 (U.S. funds) to: Dear Abby -- Teen Booklet, P.O. Box 447, Mount Morris, IL 61054-0447. (Postage is included in the price.)

DEAR ABBY: I had to write after reading your response to "Not Into Porn," the young woman who blacked out after drinking with her live-in boyfriend, and later discovered that he had videotaped them having sex. I'll bet you get more than 1,000 letters suggesting that you overlooked a serious possibility: She may have been given a date-rape drug.

The symptoms she described could be linked to GHB or Rohypnol. People who drink a combination of alcohol and these drugs commonly have "blackouts" lasting from one to 24 hours after consuming such a cocktail. -- SARATOGA, CALIF., READER

DEAR READER: You win the bet. I have received an avalanche of letters and e-mails numbering in the thousands. Read on:

DEAR ABBY: You told the young lady that drinking and blacking out could indicate a drinking problem. As a physician, and the father of two young women, I feel your advice was incomplete. Abby, the "problem" is her boyfriend. He may be a sexual predator and subject to prosecution. She may be the victim of the date-rape drug Rohypnol, and THAT'S why she can't remember being videotaped.

Young women should be warned about this possibility and the need to watch their beverages carefully. -- PETER S. HACKER, M.D., HOLLIS, N.H.

DEAR DOCTOR H.: I didn't consider the possibility of a date-rape drug -- and neither did my staff -- because of the length of time (five years) that she and her boyfriend have lived together. Read on:

DEAR ABBY: I had a similar experience, also with a trusted boyfriend. I had a couple of drinks and felt tipsy. He offered to take me home and take care of me. The next morning I awoke with a bruise at the top of my head, blurred vision and frighteningly awkward coordination. I remembered nothing. My boyfriend said I had simply passed out.

Later, several friends told me that he had bragged that he had laced my drink in order to fulfill a "personal fantasy."

Please let your readers know this happens not only with strangers, but sometimes with people we think we can trust. I hope this helps someone. Thanks for letting me get it off my chest. -- JENNY IN N.D.

DEAR JENNY: Thank YOU for writing. Your letter will not only help thousands of women, but it has also educated me.

DEAR ABBY: Regarding the jerk who not only had sex with his girlfriend after she had passed out, but then had the audacity to videotape the act: Sex with a woman who is not capable of consent is RAPE. -- ANOTHER MAN'S VIEW IN WASHINGTON

DEAR MALE WASHINGTONIAN: I agree. And to be safe, the young woman should call her local rape hotline and run the entire scenario by them. She may also need to be tested for STDs -- because a man who would do this to her could easily be sexually violating other women.

DEAR ABBY: Under no circumstances should that video be destroyed. It should be taken to the police so it can be used as evidence in her boyfriend's prosecution! And as for you, it's time to drag out the wet noodle. -- HORRIFIED IN HOUSTON

DEAR HORRIFIED: No need for the noodle. I've already been flogged enough.

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