amily Day--A Day to Eat Dinner With Your Children is a national effort to promote parental engagement as a simple, effective way to reduce substance abuse among Children and teens and raise healthier children.  Family Day emphasizes the importance of regular family in activities in parent-child communications and encourages Americans to make family dinners a regular feature of their lives.

The Facts About
Family Dinners

hy the big fuss about family dinners? Though eating dinner as a family may seem like a simple thing it can make a world of difference. CASA reasearch has consistently shown the more often young people sit down at the dinner table with their families, the less likely they are to smoke, drink or use illegal drugs.

Teens who eat dinner with their parents twice a week or less are four times more likely to smoke cigarettes, three times more likely to smoke marijuana and nearly twice as likely to drink as those who eat dinner with their parents six or seven times a week.

Teens from families that almost never eat dinner together are 72 percent likelier than the average teen to use cigarettes, alcohol and drugs, while those from families that almost always eat dinner together are 31 percent less likely than the average teen to engage in these activities.

Additional research has shown that teens who eat frequently family dinners are less likely than other teens to have sex at young ages and get into fights; are at lower risk for thoughts of suicide; and are likelier to do better in school. This is true regardless of a teen's gender, family structure or family socioeconomic level.

Teens who have frequent family dinners are more likely to be emotionally content, work hard at school and have positive peer relationships.  Children and teens who have frequent family dinners also have healthier eating habits.

PROCLAMATION NO. 03-02

A PROCLAMATION TO DECLARE SEPTEMBER 22, 2003 AS NATIONAL FAMILY DAY - A DAY TO EAT DINNER WITH YOUR CHILDREN IN GILA COUNTY

WHEREAS the use of illegal drugs and abuse of alcohol and nicotine constitute the greatest threats to the well-being of America's children;
WHEREAS, surveys conducted by the National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse have consistently found that children and teenagers who routinely eat dinner with their families are far less likely to use illegal drugs, alcohol and cigarettes;
WHEREAS, teenagers who virtually never eat dinner with their families are 72 percent more likely than the average teenager to use illegal drugs, alcohol and cigarettes;
WHEREAS, teenagers who almost always eat dinner with their families are 31 percent less likely than the average teenager to use illegal drugs, alcohol and cigarettes;
WHEREAS, the correlation between family dinners and reduced risk for teen substance abuse are well documented;
WHEREAS, parental influence is known to be one of the most crucial factors in determining the likelihood of substance abuse by teenagers;
WHEREAS, family dinners have long constituted a substantial pillar of family life in America; and,
WHEREAS, The Gila County Attorney's Office, Probation Department, Superintendent of Schools Office, Tobacco Free Environments Program, Gila County Court Appointed Special Advocate Program, and the Southern Gila Coalition Against Substance Abuse support Families Eating Togather.

NOW, THEREFORE, we the Gila County Board of Supervisors, recognize that eating dinner as a family is an important step toward raising drug-free children; and do hereby proclaim that September 22, 2003, be designated National Family Day - A Day to Eat Dinner With Your Children.

 
How to Celebrate Family Day

... As a Family: Eat dinner together.

  • During dinner, turn off the TV and talk and listen to each other.
  • Involve the entire family in planning and cooking the meal.
  • If you can't eat dinner together, try having breakfast together or engaging in another family activity.
  • If your family eats together often, your entire family might volunteer to serve a Family Day meal to children who don't have families.

Questions about Family Day?
Visit www.casacolumbia.org
or email familyday@casacolumbia.org