A CHANCE TO PREVENT DRUG USE IN YOUR FAMILY

Today is national "Family Day - A Day to Eat Dinner with Your Children." An
initiative in its third year, it has been proclaimed by governors of 35
states to emphasize regular family dinners as an opportunity for parents to
have constructive contact with their children. As parents consider how to
insulate their children from drug use and other risky behaviors, the Family
Day campaign was launched to suggest one approach that works -and grant
them the benefits of research data that indicates how much.

The National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse (CASA) at Columbia
University has researched the role of the family in preventing substance
abuse and other risky behaviors. Among children who make the best choices,
it is clear that parental guidance is primarily responsible. While youthful
marijuana users reported that they were most influenced by their peers,
nonusers (the vast majority of youth - over 80 percent) gave their parents'
opinions more weight. Increased contact between parents and their children
gives sufficient time for this parental guidance to be exercised.

Accordingly, CASA's research shows that the more frequently children eat
dinner with their families, the less likely they are to use alcohol,
tobacco and other drugs. Moreover, their behavior in every other area is
also likely to be more positive.

Make your family stronger with regular family dinners.

JAMES R. McDONOUGH

Director, Florida Office of Drug Control