The more often teens have dinners with their families, the less likely they are to use alcohol, tobacco, or other drugs, according to a recent national telephone survey of teens.

For example, 32% of teens who have dinner with their family five or more times a week report that they have tried alcohol and 7% report that they get drunk at least once a month, compared to 48% and 18%, respectively, of teens who have less than three family dinners a week.

This relationship can be largely explained by the fact that parents who frequently eat with their children are very involved in their kids' lives.

According to the survey, parents who have frequent family dinners are more likely to say they know the parents of their teen's closest friends, know the names of their teen's teachers, and believe they have a good relationship with their teen.

Overall, 58% of teens report having dinner with their family at least five times a week.

The top three reasons given for not having more frequent dinners were that parents work late, being too busy, and having conflicting schedules.

Reprinted from CESAR Fax, a weekly, one-page overview of timely substance abuse trends or issues, from The Center on Substance Abuse Research (CESAR) at the University of Maryland.