More than a decade of research by The National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse at Columbia University (CASAColumbiaTM) has consistently found that the more often kids eat dinner with their families, the less likely they are to smoke, drink or use drugs.
Family Day – A Day to Eat Dinner with Your ChildrenTM is a national movement launched by CASAColumbia in 2001 to remind parents that frequent family Dinners Make A Difference! While there are no silver bullets – substance abuse can strike any family regardless of ethnicity, affluence, age or gender – the parental engagement fostered at the dinner table can be a simple, effective tool to help parents prevent substance abuse in kids.
Family Day began as a grassroots initiative and has grown to become a nationwide celebration. In fact, in 2011 President Obama, all the Governors and more than 1,000 Mayors and County Executives proclaimed and supported Family Day!
Become a Family Day STAR!
I commit to:
S- Spend time with my kids by having dinner together
T- Talk to them about their friends, interests and the dangers of drugs and alcohol
A- Answer their questions and listen to what they say
R- Recognize that I have the power to help keep my kids substance free!
