DEAR HARRIETTE: I recently learned that one of my friends, a respected rising senior at his university with a student leadership position, has a troubling habit: He takes copious amounts of acid during his downtime. How do I rationalize this behavior? I would think this would be extremely detrimental to his health, but my friends who are closer to him think he can handle it. Should I talk to him about it? How should I approach that conversation? -- Acid Interest
DEAR ACID INTEREST: You do not have to rationalize what your friend does. Rather than talking to other people about his habit, you should speak to him directly. Tell him that you have discovered that he uses acid often and that you are having a hard time understanding why. Tell him that you are concerned about his health and his future. After that, leave it alone. You cannot control his choices. And the reality is, even smart people with bright futures use drugs -- at least some do. You do not have the power to get him to stop. You can decide if you still want to hang out with him or if you will walk away if you are ever in his company when he is using.
(Harriette Cole is a lifestylist and founder of DREAMLEAPERS, an initiative to help people access and activate their dreams. You can send questions to askharriette@harriettecole.com or c/o Andrews McMeel Syndication, 1130 Walnut St., Kansas City, MO 64106.)