'Family Day: A Day to Eat Dinner With Your Children'

Utah first lady Mary Kaye Huntsman on Monday visited the Smith's store in the Avenues area of Salt Lake City to declare the day "Family Day: A Day to Eat Dinner With Your Children." She was the first to sign a banner at the store at 402 E. 6th Ave., supporting the importance of parents making a commitment to sit down for regularly scheduled family dinners.

In recognition of Family Day, Salt Lake City Mayor Rocky Anderson joined state officials and local grocers at a separate press conference Monday at the City and County Building to announce participation in the initiative, which was created by CASA in 2001.

According to the National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse, teenagers who rarely eat dinner with their families are about 70 percent more likely to abuse alcohol or drugs than teens who eat dinner with their families five or more times per week.