The Importance of Family Dinners

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. 22^nd”^, 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.