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Salt Lake City Encourages Parents and their Kids To Gather Around the Dinner Table

September 26, 2011

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

September 26, 2011
Contact: Abbie Vianes
801-535-7936

Salt Lake City Encourages Parents and their Kids To Gather Around the Dinner Table
Family time shown to help preventunderage drinking and drug use

SALT LAKE CITY ­– Mayor Ralph Becker and the Salt Lake City Coalition on Alcohol, Tobacco and Other Drugs invite parents to take part in the National Eat Dinner with Your Family Day on Monday, September 26, 2011.

Studies show that if children eat dinner with their families at least five times a week, the incidence of risky teen behavior drops by 33 percent.

“Time spent with family is invaluable and helps strengthen trust,” said Salt Lake City Mayor Ralph Becker. “Parents can actively engage in their children’s lives by talking, listening and eating dinner together. The act of doing something so simple can make a positive impact in our community.”

The correlation between frequent family dinners and reduced risk for teen substance abuse is well documented. The National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse at Columbia University has consistently found – through more than 13 years of surveys – the more often children and teenagers eat dinner with their families, the less likely they are to smoke, drink alcohol and use other drugs.

The Salt Lake City Mayor's Coalition on Alcohol, Tobacco and Other Drugs is a proactive force promoting healthy life choices – creating a community free from the harm caused by alcohol, tobacco, and other drugs in Salt Lake City.

For more details about National Eat Dinner with Your Family Day, visit www.parentsempowered.org .

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