[Congressional Record Volume 146, Number 74 (Wednesday, June 14, 2000)]
[Senate]
[Pages S5160-S5161]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




  DESIGNATING MONDAY, JUNE 19, 2000, AS NATIONAL EAT DINNER WITH YOUR 
                              CHILDREN DAY

  Mr. ALLARD. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate 
proceed to immediate consideration of S. Res. 323, which is at the 
desk.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will report the resolution by title.
  The legislative clerk read as follows:

       A resolution (S. Res. 323) designating Monday, June 19, 
     2000, as ``National Eat Dinner with Your Children Day.''

  There being no objection, the Senate proceeded to consider the Senate 
resolution.
  Mr. BIDEN. Mr. President, I rise today in support of this resolution 
to designate Monday, June 19, 2000 as ``National Eat Dinner with Your 
Children Day,'' cosponsored by Senators Grassley, Levin, Jeffords, 
Bryan, Kennedy, Murray, Moynihan, Sessions, DeWine, Helms, Thurmond, 
Schumer and Inouye. A similar resolution has been introduced in the 
House of Representatives by Representatives Rangel and McCollum.
  In addition to designating June 19--the day after Father's Day--as 
National Eat Dinner with Your Children Day, the resolution also 
recognizes that eating dinner as a family is a critical step toward 
raising healthy, drug-free children and it encourages families to eat 
together as often as possible.
  The idea for this resolution grew out of research by The National 
Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse at Columbia University, CASA, 
on teen attitudes about drug use. For four years running, the CASA teen 
survey has highlighted the power that parents have over their 
children's decisions regarding drug use, showing that children and 
teens who routinely eat dinner with their families are far less likely 
to use illegal drugs, cigarettes or alcohol:
  Teens who rarely eat dinner with their parents are 72 percent more 
likely than the average teen to use drugs, cigarettes and alcohol.
  Teens that almost always eat with their families are 31 percent less 
likely to smoke, drink or do drugs than the average teen.
  Of course, having dinner as a family is a proxy for spending time 
with kids. It is not the meat, potatoes and vegetables that alter a 
child's likelihood to use drugs, it is the everyday time spent with mom 
and dad--the two most important role models in most kids lives.
  I do not believe that this resolution will be the silver bullet to 
solving this nation's drug problem. But I do feel these statistics are 
telling. CASA President Joe Califano talks about ``Parent Power.'' It 
is important that parents know the power they have over their 
children's decisions and the power that they have to deter kids from 
drinking, smoking or using drugs. For example, nearly half of teens who 
have never used marijuana say that it was lessons learned from their 
parents that helped them to say no.
  Unfortunately, many parents are pessimistic about their ability to 
keep their kids drug-free; 45 percent say that they believe their child 
will use an illegal drug in the future.
  This pessimism is often reinforced by news reports that indicate that 
while most parents say that they have talked to their kids about the 
dangers of drugs, only a minority of teens say that they have learned a 
lot from their family about the dangers of drugs. Rather than be 
discouraged by this apparent disconnect, I think it should teach us an 
important lesson: that talking to kids about drugs ought not just be a 
one-time conversation. It should be an ongoing discussion that includes 
asking children where they are going, who they are going out with, 
whether there will be adult supervision, etc. These lessons can also 
grow out of spending time with a child, helping that child to learn how 
to work through problems or rise above peer pressure, and parents 
setting a good example for kids.
  Keeping up on children's lives--including knowing who their friends 
are and what they are doing after school--is critical. The experts tell 
us that some of the tell-tale signs that a child is drinking or using 
illicit drugs are behavior changes, change in social circle, lack of 
interest in hobbies and isolation from family. These changes can be 
subtle; picking up on them can require a watchful eye.
  Eating dinner as a family will not guarantee that a child will remain 
drug-free. But family dinners are an important way for parents to 
instill their values in their children as well as remain connected with 
the challenges that children face and help them learn how to cope with 
problems without resorting to smoking, drinking or using drugs.
  I sincerely hope that each one of my colleagues join me to support 
this resolution to send a message to parents that they can play a 
powerful role in shaping the decisions their kids make regarding 
drinking, smoking and drug use.
  Mr. GRASSLEY. Mr. President, I am submitting, along with Senators 
Biden, Thurmond, Bryan, Jeffords, Moynihan, Helms, Levin, DeWine, 
Kennedy, Sessions, Murray, Schumer, and Inouye, a bi-partisan 
resolution designating Monday, June 19, 2000 as ``Eat Dinner with your 
Children Day.'' We also join with our House colleagues Congressmen 
Rangel and McCollum as they take the lead on this bipartisan issue in 
the House of Representatives. This resolution recognizes the benefits 
of eating dinner as a family, especially as a way to keep children from 
using illegal drugs, tobacco, and alcohol.
  Last October I came to the floor seeking to increase awareness of the 
important roles parents play in their children's lives. A recent study 
by the National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse, or CASA 
reinforced our understanding of the importance of this role. CASA is a 
national resource that monitors and reports on drug abuse trends, 
risks, and solutions affecting all Americans. Last September they 
released their annual back to school survey on the attitudes of teens 
and parents regarding substance abuse. The survey stressed how 
essential it is for parents to get involved in their children's lives. 
The survey indicates that kids actually do listen to their parents. In 
fact, 42 percent of the teenagers who have never used marijuana credit 
their parents with the decision. Unfortunately, too many parents--45 
percent--believe their teenagers' use of drugs is inevitable. In 
addition, 25 percent of the parents said they have little influence 
over their teen's substance abuse.
  But the kids have got it right. Parents are critical. So are 
families. That is why the sponsors of this bill are happy to work with 
Joe Califano, the head of CASA, to help remind all of us of this simple 
fact.
  The family unit is the backbone of this country. Solutions to our 
drug problems involve all of us working together. Parents and 
communities must be engaged and I am committed to help making that 
happen. Parents need to provide a strong moral context to help our 
young people know how to make the right choices. They need to know how 
to say ``no,'' that saying no is okay, that saying no to drugs is the 
right thing to do--not just the safe or healthier thing, but the right 
thing. I urge our colleagues to join us.
  Mr. ALLARD. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent the resolution be 
agreed to, the preamble be agreed to, the motion to reconsider be laid 
upon

[[Page S5161]]

the table, and any statements relating to the resolution be printed in 
the Record.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  The resolution (S. Res. 323) was agreed to.
  The preamble was agreed to.
  The resolution, with its preamble, reads as follows:

                              S. Res. 323

       Whereas the use of illegal drugs and the abuse of 
     substances such as alcohol and nicotine constitute the single 
     greatest threat to the health and well-being of American 
     children;
       Whereas surveys conducted by the National Center on 
     Addiction and Substance Abuse at Columbia University have 
     found for each of the past 4 years that children and 
     teenagers who routinely eat dinner with their families are 
     far less likely to use illegal drugs, cigarettes, and 
     alcohol;
       Whereas teenagers from families that seldom eat dinner 
     together are 72 percent more likely than the average teenager 
     to use illegal drugs, cigarettes, and alcohol;
       Whereas teenagers from families that eat dinner together 
     are 31 percent less likely than the average teenager to use 
     illegal drugs, cigarettes, and alcohol;
       Whereas the correlation between the frequency of family 
     dinners and the decrease in substance abuse risk is well 
     documented;
       Whereas parental influence is known to be one of the most 
     crucial factors in determining the likelihood of teenage 
     substance abuse; and
       Whereas family dinners have long constituted a substantial 
     pillar of American family life: Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved, That the Senate--
       (1) recognizes that eating dinner as a family is a critical 
     step toward raising healthy, drug-free children; and
       (2) designates Monday, June 19, 2000, as National Eat-
     Dinner-With-Your-Children Day.

                          ____________________