News Release
SUPERVISOR DIANNE JACOB
DATE: September 23, 2004
CONTACT STEVE SCHMIDT AT 619-531-4766 or 619-206-9108
CAN SITTING DOWN TO DINNER REALLY KEEP KIDS OUT OF TROUBLE?
SAN DIEGO - A new national survey touting the benefits of sit-down
family dinners has San Diego community leaders dishing about the power
of the dinner table.
The survey results are so remarkable
that the County of San Diego and the San Diego County Restaurant
Association are encouraging all families to set aside September 27,
2004 as "Family Dinner Day."
According to a
2004 study by the National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse at
Columbia University, teens who eat dinner with their families five to
seven times a week were 31 percent less likely to use illegal drugs,
cigarettes, or alcohol than other teens who had dinner with their
families four times a week or fewer.
"We hope busy
families can find the time to slow down and experience the simple joy
of eating dinner in the same place," Chairwoman Dianne Jacob who
professes to make a mean roast turkey. "Knowing that family
dinners have the added benefit of protecting kids from drug use is
another wonderful reason for families to eat together."
" Food brings families together. Sharing a meal at a table
leads to meaningful communication among family members," said
Steve Fricker, president of the San Diego Chapter of the California
Restaurant Association.
Teens from families that eat
dinner together two times a week or fewer were a startling 72 percent
more likely to engage in these activities than those who ate dinner
with their families three or more times a week.
Teens who
eat dinner with their families are also less likely to be bored, do
well in school, and handle stress well than teens who rarely spend
time with their families at the table.
Jacob, California
Restaurant Association members and families will gather at the
Corvette Diner in Hillcrest on Monday, September 27 at 2 p.m. to
celebrate Family Dinner Night.