Importance of Family Dinners

Compared to teens who have frequent family dinners (five or more per week), those who have infrequent family dinners (fewer than three per week) are twice as likely to use tobacco or marijuana; more than one and a half times likelier to use alcohol; and twice as likely to expect to try drugs in the future, according to The Importance of Family Dinners V, a new report by The National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse (CASA) at Columbia University.

The report also found that compared to teens who have five to seven family dinners per week, those who have fewer than three family dinners per week are:

• Twice as likely to have friends who use marijuana and ecstasy
• More than one and a half times likelier to have friends who drink, abuse prescription drugs, and use methamphetamine; and
• Almost one and a half times likelier to have friends who use illegal drugs like cocaine, acid and heroin.