Family Dinners: Much More Than A Meal

National Push For Family Time Could Reduce Drug Use In Teens

(CBS)  The tradition of family dinners has been in decline for decades, but that trend is changing now. As CBS News correspondent Michelle Miller reports for The Saturday Early Show, studies now point to important benefits of the traditional family dinner. "The more often kids had dinner with their parents the less likely they were to smoke, drink and use drugs," says Joseph Califano, chairman of the National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse at Columbia University.

The research inspired Califano's organization to establish family day, "one day when we're really going to remind the whole country, this is important," he told Miller. "We think it is already making a difference."

There are now public service announcements touting family mealtime, and some major corporations have even gotten behind the movement — companies like Crisco, which offered $10,000 to the family with the best dinnertime home video.

But changes in the American family have made family dinners harder to organize. With mothers working outside of the home and children rushing to more after-school activities than ever, getting everyone around the table at the same time can be a significant challenge. The Ceglio family, of Long Island, outside New York City, is a good example. Having dinner together means squeezing in a quick meal after dad gets home from work and between guitar lessons, dance class and homework.

There's not a lot of time — but according to the Ceglios, it's still worth the effort. "It's quality time," said Debbie Ceglio. "You do the best you can ... It's definitely the priority. The kids are the priority and the family as a whole is the priority."

To learn more about fighting substance abuse, visit the National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse at Columbia University.

And The Saturday Early Show is joined by Marcia Marra, a mother from New Jersey, with advice on how to fit family dinners into your busy schedule. Visit her Web site at www.readysetrelax.org.