Did you know that a simple family dinner could make a big difference on a child’s perspective of drugs and alcohol?
A post on WebMD shares a report released by the National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse at Columbia University last 2010, saying teens who don’t have dinners with family on a regular basis have increased risks of becoming drug and alcohol users. Those who eat with family at dinner time are less likely to use, or even try, alcohol, marijuana, or tobacco substances.
On a survey that the same group conducted, it was found out that nearly three-fourths of the teen population they studied say that having dinner with family is very important. Having a healthy family dinner at least five times a week makes a child think less of drugs and alcohol. Teens who are in families that do not eat together for at least three times a week becomes twice as much susceptible to tobacco and alcohol use, and 1.5 times more likely to use marijuana.
What the report says to parents is very vital especially for their children’s welfare. As more and more kids 12 years old and older are engaging in substance and alcohol abuse in America, a simple dinner with the family could prevent these abuses from happening. The chance to sit down and talk with the kids about school, their friends, and their lives can be a worthwhile experience for both the parents and the children. As a result, 60% of those who have such family time on a regular occurrence will less likely be associated with peers who are into marijuana, alcohol, tobacco, and even prescription drugs abuse.
The main point is that what is important in family dinners is not the food on the table. It all boils down to the conversations and effective communication that happens within.
Tags: child drug abuse, family bonding, family dinner, teen drug abuse
