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amily ay What is Family Day? "Family Day--A Day to Eat Dinner With Your Children" is a national effort to promote parental engagement as a simple, effective way to reduce substance abuse by children and teens and raise healthier children. Family Day emphasizes the importance of regular family activities in parent-child communication and encourages Americans to make family dinners a regular feature of their lives. In 2001, The National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse (CASA) at Columbia University launched Family Day as an annual event, which takes place on the fourth Monday of each September, the 22"a in 2003. Background Since 1996, CASA research has consistently shown that the more often a child eats dinner with his family, the less likely that child is to smoke, drink or use illegal drugs. CASA's 1998 Teen Survey found that teens that eat dinner with their parents twice a week or less were four times more likely to smoke cigarettes, three times more likely to smoke marijuana and nearly twice as likely to drink as those who ate dinner with their parents six or seven times a week. CASA's 1999 Teen Survey found that teens from families that almost never eat dinner together were 72 percent likelier than the average teen to use illegal drugs, cigarettes and alcohol, while those from families that almost always eat dinner together were 31 percent less likely than the average teen to engage in these activities. Research by other organizations has shown that teens who eat frequent family dinners are less likely than other teens to have sex at young ages, get into fights or be suspended from school, and are at lower risk for thoughts of suicide. Frequent family dining is also correlated with doing well in school and developing healthy eating habits. This pattern holds tree regardless of a teen's sex, family structure, and family socioeconomic level. Family Day 2002 and 2001 In 2002, President Bush and the governors of the following 35 states and Washington, D.C. issued proclamations declaring September 23rd, 2002, "Family Day:" Alaska, California, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Hawaii, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia and Wyoming. Coca-Cola was the first national corporate sponsor. New national sponsors this year include the AFL-CIO, National PTA, Pubhx Super Markets Inc., U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' Administration for Children and Families, and U.S. Department of Justice's Drug Enforcement Administration. Numerous state, local and community groups helped with Family Day 2002. In 2001, President Bush and 35 governors proclaimed the fourth Monday in September "Family Day." Numerous national organizations endorsed and promoted Family Day, including Community Anti-Drug Coalitions of America, KidsPeace, the National Family Partnership and the Partnership for a Drug-Free America. Family Day received a tremendous amount of grassroots support from state and local groups across the country. Family Day 2003 CASA is again working with the White House, governors, mayors and the above agencies and organizations and new ones to promote Family Day on September 22, 2003. For the second year, The Coca-Cola Company is a national sponsor. Bus and subway posters will advertise Family Day in 9 metropolitan areas. National Amusements has agreed to place a Family Day slide in 1000 movie screens in 12 states nmning for a period of four weeks. For more information visit www.casacolumbia.org or email familyday~casacolumbia.org