Estimated read time: 1-2 minutes
This archived news story is available only for your personal, non-commercial use. Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information. Reading or replaying the story in its archived form does not constitute a republication of the story.
A national organization dedicated to combating substance abuse among young people has declared today to be Family Day. The primary push of the effort is to "promote parental engagement" in the lives of children. More specifically, The National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse (CASA) based at Columbia University encourages parents to eat dinner with their children today.
A family meal, you say? What does that have to do with combating substance abuse?
Research conducted over the years by CASA "consistently finds that the more often children eat dinner with their families, the less likely they are to smoke, drink or use drugs. So, in 2001, CASA created "Family Day - A Day to Eat Dinner with Your Children." Family Day is always celebrated on the fourth Monday in September.
What a great idea! But is one day each year enough? Of course not! As CASA says in its literature, "The symbolic act of regular family meals should be promoted and celebrated inside and outside the home throughout the year.
KSL thinks The National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse is on to something. We encourage parents to contemplate the significance of the organization's findings. Along with CASA, we urge renewed enshrinement of family mealtime.
