Supes want you to sup with your family Sept. 27

By Carolyn Wall
Mogollon Connection Correspondent

What are you doing for dinner Monday, September 27?

If you have children at home, the Gila County Board of Supervisors hopes that you and your family are sitting around a table, talking about the day’s activities and enjoying a healthy meal.

That’s what families used to do – not so much anymore. Working parents are likely to stop by the nearest fast-food restaurant on their way home. The evening’s meal arrives in a steamy bag or box and is set on the kitchen island. Everybody grabs this and that and goes off on their own to sit in front of the TV or computer, or to their cell phone to finish texting – they do everything but sit around the kitchen or dining room table to eat with their family.

And this, says the National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse (CASA), is a cause for concern.

Their 13-year research project shows that families are less likely to have problems with drugs and alcohol if they share the evening’s meal together around the dinner table.

At their regular meeting Tuesday, Aug. 7, the supervisors adopted a proclamation to declare September 27, 2010, as “Family Day – A Day to Eat Dinner with your Children” in Gila County.

Supervisor Shirley Dawson said, “We need to encourage parents to have a sit-down meal with family. We need to build families back together.”

Researchers with CASA at Columbia University found that the more often kids eat dinner with their families, the less likely they are to smoke, drink, or use drugs.

In 2001, CASA created Family Day – A Day to Eat Dinner with Your Children as a national movement to remind parents about the importance of taking part in their children’s lives.

The idea behind the movement was to encourage parents to not only spend the one day as a family day, but to have frequent family dinners to prevent their children from engaging in substance abuse.

Family Day is celebrated annually on the fourth Monday in September. The 10th Anniversary of Family Day will be celebrated on September 27, 2010. The day was recognized in 2009 by President Barack Obama, 49 state governors and 1,000 mayors in cities and towns around the country

This year, in addition to the recognition by government officials, the 10th anniversary of Family Day will be celebrated with the Empire State Building being lit in red and blue lights.

By adopting the resolution, Gila County joins with other government agencies, companies and organizations in promoting family time as an effective defense against children abusing substances.