Chrysler Group to Promote National Family Day Through Partnership with CASA

In America's over-scheduled, activity-hectic society, national program seeks to encourage families to 'unschedule' in order to spend time together

AUBURN HILLS, Mich., March 31 -- Chrysler Group today announced the promotion of Family Day in partnership with the National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse (CASA) at Columbia University.

CASA's Family Day, scheduled for September 27 and now in its fourth year, is a national effort to promote parental engagement as a simple, effective way to reduce youth substance abuse and raise healthier children.

Chrysler Group's Family Day efforts will encourage Americans to find time during the week surrounding Family Day (September 25 - October 1) to unschedule from extracurricular engagements and work commitments to simply enjoy time together. Chrysler's nearly 100,000 employees, more than 4,000 dealers and 45 manufacturing locations will participate in the program.

"Families are increasingly too busy, which makes spending quality time together difficult," said Dieter Zetsche, Chrysler Group President and Chief Executive Officer. "We want to encourage our customers, our dealers, and their families to take part in this national effort and even to use their Chrysler minivans to get away from their daily routines and do something special as a family."

"Eating dinner together is a simple and effective way to significantly reduce the risk that children will engage in risky behavior," said Joseph Califano Jr., CASA's Chairman and President and former U.S. Secretary for Health Education and Welfare. "'Parent Power' is the single most important weapon in fighting substance use and abuse among children and teens. We're excited about the national attention and prominence an organization like Chrysler Group can bring to Family Day."

CASA research has consistently shown that the more often children eat dinner with their families, the less likely they are to smoke, drink or use illegal drugs. Frequent family dining is also correlated with doing well in school and developing healthy eating habits. The research is true regardless of sex, family structure and family socioeconomic level.

CASA

The National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse (CASA) at Columbia University is the only national organization that brings together under one roof all the professional disciplines needed to study and combat all types of substance abuse in all sectors of society. CASA's missions are to: inform Americans of the economic and social costs of substance abuse and its impact on their lives; assess what works in prevention, treatment and law enforcement; encourage every individual and institution to take responsibility to combat substance abuse and addiction; provide those on the front lines with the tools they need to succeed; and remove the stigma of substance abuse and replace shame and despair with hope.