The Importance of Family Dinners
More than a decade of research at The National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse (CASA) at Columbia University has consistently found that the more often children have dinner with their parents, the less likely they are to smoke, drink or use drugs.
Simply put: Dinner makes a difference.
The Importance of Family Dinners V probed the link between the frequency of family dinners and teens’ substance use, their access to substances, their relationship with their parents, and the signals they receive from their parents about substance use. The report also took a closer look at the quality of dinners teens are having with their parents, and the impact of distractions such as cell phones, Blackberries and other electronic devices at the table.
The findings presented in this report come from The National Survey of American Attitudes on Substance Abuse XIV: Teens and Parents, released on August 26, 2009. CASA surveyed 1,000 teens, age 12 to 17 (509 boys, 491 girls), and 452 of the parents of these teens.
This 14th annual “back-to-school survey” continues CASA’s unique effort to track attitudes of teens and those, like parents, who influence them. This survey identified factors that increase or decrease the likelihood of teen substance abuse. Armed with this knowledge, parents, teachers, clergy, coaches and other responsible adults have been better able to help our nation’s teens grow up drug free.
Over the past decade and a half of surveying thousands of American teens and their parents has identified that one of the most effective ways parents can keep their kids from using substances is by sitting down to dinner with them.
Compared to teens who have frequent family dinners (five to seven per week), those who have infrequent family dinners (fewer than three per week) are:
twice as likely to use tobacco or marijuana; and
more than one and a half times likelier to use alcohol.
The research shows clearly how important it is to get to the dinner table with your kids. And it is also important for parents to give kids their undivided attention--and to get theirs.
Laws
The state of Kansas has worked very hard with law enforcement, safety advocates and state legislators to pass laws which would decrease the likelihood of underage drinking, as well as of-age impaired driving. No matter what age you are, it is illegal to drink and drive.
Kansas' alcohol-related laws:
1. Minor in Possession and/or Consumption
• No person under 21 shall possess, consume, obtain, purchase or attempt to obtain or purchase alcoholic liquor or cereal malt beverages except as authorized by law.
• Fines up to $500
• Up to 40 hours community service
• 30 days up to a year suspended license.
For more information, refer to KSA 41-727.
2. Fake/Borrowed Identification
It is unlawful to:
• Display or have in possession fictitious or altered driver’s license/state I.D.
• Lend any driver’s license/state I.D. to any other person
• Reproduce a driver’s license/state I.D.
Not abiding by the law can result in fines up to $1,000 as well as one year in jail.
For more information, refer to KSA 8-260.
3. Zero Tolerance for Minors
• It is illegal to operate or attempt to operate a motor vehicle with a breath or blood alcohol content of .02 or above.
• Driving privileges suspended for up to one year.
For more information refer to KSA 8-1567a.
4. Furnishing Alcohol to Minors
• Directly or indirectly, selling to, buying for, giving or furnishing any alcoholic liquor or cereal malt beverage to any minor is illegal.
• Fine of $200
For more information, refer to KSA 21-3610.
5. Hosting Minors
• Unlawfully hosting minors consuming alcoholic liquor or cereal malt beverages at a person’s residence, land, building or rented room is illegal.
• Failing to abide by the law can result in fines up to $1,000 as well as one year in jail.
For more information, refer to KSA 21-3610c.
6. Preliminary Breath Test
• A law enforcement officer may request a preliminary breath test if the officer has reasonable grounds to believe that person has been drinking alcohol.
For more information, refer to KSA 8-1012.
7. DUI: First Offense
• Up to six months in jail.
• Community service.
• Driver’s license suspended up to one year, plus additional restricted driving
• Substance abuse treatment
For more information, refer to KSA 8-1567.
8. DUI With Child Under 14 Years of Age
• The punishment for a person convicted of DUI while transporting a passenger under the age of 14 shall be increased by one month of imprisonment
For more information, refer to KSA 8-1567.
9. Ignition Interlock
• Convicted DUI offenders may be restricted to operating only those vehicles that are equipped with an ignition interlock device. To start the vehicle, the driver must blow into a handset that tests the driver’s breath for the presence of alcohol.
• An ignition interlock device will stop drunk driving. When alcohol is detected, the car won’t start.
• Driver is required to retest, as long as car is in motion.
For more information, refer to KSA 8-1567.
10. Vehicle Impoundment
• State law mandates operating or attempting to operate a motor vehicle while impaired is a crime in Kansas. All offenses may result in impoundment or immobilization of a vehicle for up to one year.
For more information, refer to KSA 8-1567.
Stop Underage Drinking
Check out the new portal for all Federal resources when it comes to stopping underage drinking in your community.
Stop Underage Drinking Portal
Model Social Host Liability Ordinance
Looking to make a difference in your community? Propose to your local legislators or city council members an ordinance that provides harsh penalities and enforcement for those that host underage kids drinking.
Check out the model ordinance here.
Your Kids are Drinking
Your Kids are Drinking is a new NET Television/NET Radio project exploring how lax attitudes among adults aggravate the youth drinking problem and corresponding ways that adults can provide realistic solutions.
Check out the entire program here.
According to the Centers for Disease Control, youth face serious consequences when they drink underage.
Youth who drink alcohol are more likely to experience:
• School problems, such as higher absence and poor or failing grades.
• Social problems, such as fighting and lack of participation in youth activities.
• Legal problems, such as arrest for driving or physically hurting someone while drunk.
• Physical problems, such as hangovers or illnesses.
• Unwanted, unplanned, and unprotected sexual activity.
• Disruption of normal growth and sexual development.
• Physical and sexual assault.
• Higher risk for suicide and homicide.
• Alcohol-related car crashes and other unintentional injuries, such as burns, falls, and drowning.
• Memory problems.
• Abuse of other drugs.
• Changes in brain development that may have life-long effects.
• Death from alcohol poisoning.
CDC Quick Statistics 
