Press release from the Allen County Board of Commissioners:
Commissioners Proclaim Sept. 28 “Family Day” in Allen County
Join with CASA to help prevent substance abuse among children and teens (September 25, 2008) – The Allen County Board of Commissioners is joining forces with The National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse (CASA) at Columbia University to celebrate the ninth annual “Family Day – A Day to Eat Dinner with Your Children” on September 28.
Launched by CASA in 2001, “Family Day” is a national movement that encourages parents to frequently eat dinner with their kids and be involved in their children’s lives. CASA’s research consistently finds that the more often kids eat dinner with their families, the less likely they are to smoke, drink or use drugs. “Family Day” helps remind busy families of the invaluable role that parental involvement plays in steering children and teens away from cigarettes, drugs and alcohol.
“We want to encourage parents in Allen County to make family meals and the conversations that go with them an everyday occurrence,” said Bill Brown, President of the Board of Commissioners. “We are committed to strengthening our families and believe that celebrating Family Day is an important first step in helping to provide a substance free youth for Allen County’s children and teens.”
“America’s drug problem is not going to be solved in courtrooms or legislative hearing rooms by judges and politicians. It will be solved in living rooms and dining rooms and across kitchen tables – by parents and families,” says Joseph A. Califano, Jr., CASA’s Chairman and President and the former U.S. Secretary of Health, Education, and Welfare. “Family dinners and the communication that occurs over the course of a meal
are critical in building a relationship with your children and to understanding the world in which they live.”The Board of Commissioners signed a proclamation making September 28, 2009, “Family Day” in Allen County. Commissioners are also encouraging parents to take the “Family Day” pledge on the CASA Family Day website.
From 2003 to 2008, research by CASA has consistently found that children who have frequent family dinners are less likely to use marijuana, tobacco and drink alcohol. CASA research reveals that compared to children who have frequent family dinners (five or more per week), children who have infrequent family dinners (less than three per week) are:
- Two and a half times likelier to have used marijuana
- Two and a half times likelier to have used tobacco
- One and a half times likelier to have drunk alcohol
Visit on-line for additional information about Family Day.
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