[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.
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