Earl Cunningham says it&8217;s time for Shelby County to gather &8216;round the dinner table.

The District 2 county commissioner feels so strongly about the influence that family meals have on young people, he introduced a resolution proclaiming the fourth Monday in September as &8220;Family Day – A Day to Eat With Your Children.&8221;

The Cunningham family raised four children at their Montevallo home, where the dinner table was not only the centerpiece of the house, but of family growth.

Tonya Alvira passed enough potatoes at the Cunningham table to realize the positive impact that time together, even if just a few meals a week, could have on her family.

&8220;He was a good influence on us,&8221; she said of her father, who made sure that the Cunninghams sat down together as often as possible.

Now, the nursing student and mother of one, makes sure that her own family sits down together, if for no longer than 30 minutes to an hour when time is scarce.

It&8217;s a good practice, according to statistics provided by Cunningham attributed to the National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse (CASA) at Columbia University:

– Children and teenagers that consistently eat dinner with their families are less likely to smoke, drink and use illegal drugs.

– Teenagers who virtually never eat dinner with their families are 72 percent more likely than the average teenager to use illegal drugs, alcohol and cigarettes.

– Teenagers who almost always eat dinner with their families are 31 percent less likely than the average teenager to use illegal drugs, alcohol and cigarettes