The mission of the Amherst Task Force for Healthy Community Healthy Youth is to support, promote and link community asset building efforts for youth.

Starting a conversation with your child about touchy topics at times seem too hard to do. With resources, however, the worry fades. 

Super Bowl Sunday is probably the biggest gambling day of the year. For many, or most, picking a square or placing a friendly bet is just for fun. But not everyone is having fun. 

A resolution is a promise for a change, whether it be a diet, an intent to save money, rebuilding a relationship, changing a law, etc. “The Big Deal” is that you see a problem or something that needs changing. 

According to the Pew Research Center, 70% of teens see anxiety and depression as a major problem. Experts say that this generation grew up with no coping skills and with an inability to problem solve uncomfortable situations. 

At a recent meeting of the Amherst Youth Consortium, students discussed their knowledge of e-cigarettes and vaping. Students are aware that vaping has resulted in hundreds of people in the U.S., youth and adults, developing a serious lung injury associated with vaping. 

During the month of October, the Amherst Task Force for Healthy Youth, Healthy Community takes an active role in raising the community’s awareness of the risks associated with underage drinking. 

A s much as young people need to avoid actions that put their present and future health at risk, young people also need opportunities for physical, mental, social and emotional growth. 

Following an Amherst Town Board meeting that addressed underage drinking, drug use and vaping, students shared what they had learned. 

Amid the revelry that comes with summer fun, local youth encounter increased opportunities to make poor choices, especially given the increase in free time that comes with the end of the school year. 

The Amherst Task Force on Healthy Community Healthy Youth hosted an underage drinking town hall on Monday, June 17 at the Harlem Road Community Center. 

The Surgeon General recently declared vaping and e-cigarette use a major epidemic among youth — and it’s impacting their brains.