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For teenagers, the health troubles that pop up during those awkward school years go well beyond acne.

Teens cope today with a range of potential risks, some brought on by momentary, youthful indiscretions (yes, we’re talking about sexually transmitted diseases) and others by poor habits (obesity).

During the first Pennsylvania Teen Health Week, continuing through Friday, adults in area doctors’ offices, schools and homes are encouraged to talk with students about a range of serious, even life-threatening, conditions such as depression, substance abuse and inactivity. These issues, while not unique to teens, often take root during the adolescent years when behaviors can swing wildly due to still-developing bodies and brains.

Organizers designated an official color – lime/neon green – for Teen Health Week, hoping participants will wear or otherwise display it to boost awareness. They also drafted a list of recommended activities, including social media campaigns, and suggested that schools focus on one area of well-being each day of the week; violence prevention was Tuesday’s theme. Wednesday’s topic is mental health.

To reinforce the message about mental health, school officials are urged to embrace these suggestions available online in the Teen Health Week activity toolkit:

• Widely distribute information about the National Suicide Prevention Hotline 1-800-273-TALK.

• Make public address announcements about the warning signs of suicide.

• Remind students about where they can go to get help for themselves or for a friend. (In Northeastern Pennsylvania, crisis intervention and referrals are available by calling Help Line at 1-888-829-1341 or 2-1-1.)

• Institute an anonymous “care and concern box” where students can identify anonymously students whom they are worried about.

• Host a poetry slam, either after school or in English classes, with topics focused on mental health.

The proponents of Teen Health Week – the College of Physicians of Philadelphia, the state Department of Health and the Pennsylvania Medical Society – aim to get their messages to the approximately 2 million Pennsylvanians between the ages of 10 and 19. Locally, organizations such as the Hoyt Library in Kingston are aiding the cause.

Over time, improving the welfare of the state’s teenage population would pay off in the form of lower health care costs and a more fit workforce, say the project’s backers. Of more immediate concern, this week’s information blitz could prevent needless suffering, even save a teenager’s life.

Whether you are 13 or 73, take part in this important conversation.

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