Teens
that have infrequent family dinners are likelier to smoke, drink, and use
marijuana according to the The National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse
at Columbia University (CASA Columbia). CASA has been surveying teens for
eighteen years.
“Family
Day is a national movement to encourage parents to frequently eat dinner with
their kids and be involved in their children’s lives. Family Day will be
celebrated nationwide this year on Monday, Sept. 22nd”,
stated Joseph DeMarzo, Coalition Co-Chairperson. According to CASAColumbia’s
report The Importance of Family Dinners VII, compared to teens who have
frequent family dinners (five to seven per week), those who have infrequent
family dinners (fewer than three per week) are:
•
Almost four times
likelier to use tobacco
•
More than twice as likely to use alcohol
•
Two-and-a-half times
likelier to use marijuana
The
report also found that teens that have frequent family dinners are likelier to
get better grades in school and to say they have an excellent relationship with
their parents.
The
CASA Columbia family dinners report reveals that 58 percent of teens report
having dinner with their families at least five times a week, a proportion that
has remained consistent over the past decade. Having frequent family dinners
also encourages healthy family relationships. According to the report, teens
that have dinner with their families consistently are:
- One-and-a-half times likelier to report having an excellent relationship with their mother;
- More than twice as likely to report having an excellent relationship with their father; and
- Almost twice as likely to report having an excellent relationship with their sibling(s).
“Family meals are the perfect time
to have a conversation with your teen. It affords you the opportunity to spend
time with your child, talk to them about their friends, interests and the
dangers of drugs and alcohol. Parental engagement is the key, as this study
proves.” stated Joseph DeMarzo, Coalition Co-Chairperson.
The study also states that teens
that have infrequent family dinners have more access to alcohol, marijuana and
prescription drugs (to get high) than teens who have consistent family dinners
with their parents and siblings.
“Having meals, even if they are on
the go, with your child gives parents the opportunity to answer questions and
recognize that they (the parent) have the power to help keep their children
substance free. This is a very powerful study, and the best thing about it is
that family dinners are an actionable goal for parents and teens to achieve.
It’s not always easy because of busy schedules, but it is doable”, stated
Elaine Santos, Putnam County Communities That Care Coalition Coordinator.
For a FREE Family Dinner Kit please
visit: http://casafamilyday.org/familyday/tools-you-can-use/family-dinner-kit/
Members
of the Putnam County CTC Coalition are available if you have any questions or
would like for us to do a presentation to your organization on this or any
other substance abuse trends that affect our children Please visit and join us on Facebook by
searching “Putnam County Communities That Care – NY” or on Twitter at http://twitter.com/#!/PutnamCTCNY
or call 845-225-4646.
