Anti-Drug: Family Dinners, The

NEA Today, Feb 2004 by Mitchell, Tiffany

Who would have thunk?

Frequent family dinners may help protect teens against illegal drug use and stress-and even help them do better in school, according to a study from the National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse (CASA) at Columbia University.

As teens move from middle to high school-the years when teen substance abuse risks are highest-they eat with their families 29 percent less frequently. Not good. The study found that 12- to 17-year-olds who miss the evening meal more than twice a week are seven times more likely to use illegal drugs, alcohol, and cigarettes than teens who eat with their families five or more times a week. They're also more likely to have sex, encounter stress, and get into fights. "This is true regardless of a teen's gender, family structure, or family socioeconomic level," said CASA's Lauren Elbaum.

Pass the word.

-TIFFANY MITCHELL