Over the last several years I've written several posts on the importance of family mealtime. I hesitate to write yet again, but the evidence is stunning. According to the National Center on Addiction & Substance Abuse at Columbia University, compared to kids who have fewer than three family dinners per week, children and teens who have frequent family dinners are:

• At 70% lower risk for substance abuse
• Half as likely to try cigarettes
• Half as likely to be daily cigarette smokers
• Half as likely to try marijuana
• Half as likely to get drunk monthly
• One third less likely to try alcohol
• Likelier to get better grades in school

CASA has established Monday, September 28th as Family Day to remind parents that Dinner Makes a Difference! Visit their website for ideas and resources to enhance your meal time experience for both you and your kids. Resources are also available on this site for schools and non-profits to use to promote family mealtimes. Consistent family meals together do make a difference!

Previous blog entries on Family Dinners:

The Surprising Power of Family Meals

Family Meals - What's the Big Deal?

Follow this link for a research brief by William J. Doherty, Ph.D., University of Minnesota provided by the National Council on Family Relations: The Family Dinner Table and the Health of Our Children Traditional Wisdom and New Data.