Essential Health Skills provides the skills and information students need to make responsible decisions and promote a lifetime of health and wellness. This third edition features cutting-edge, contemporary health topics, such as vaping, opioid addiction, social media, mindfulness and mental health, and online communication and relationships. In Essential Health Skills, students will have the opportunity to practice their health skills in a variety of contexts, related to the subjects that most apply to their lives. Content and skills align to the National Health Education Standards. By studying this text, students will be empowered to advocate for every area of their health, now and in the future.

With up-to-date terminology and new topics, Essential Health Skills includes the most current, relevant health information available. New lessons about medication abuse, online safety, and environmental health prepare students to promote personal and community health in an ever-changing world. Each chapter includes activities written by experts and award-winning health instructors. By completing these health skills activities, such as those related to making decisions, setting goals, and evaluating health information, students will be prepared to apply these skills in real, everyday life. Extensive online supplements include in-depth skill development activities and parent/trusted adult engagement activities to help students apply at home the concepts and skills learned in class. High-interest special features encourage deeper thinking about health topics. Features such as Health in the Media connect concepts to experiences with media, including social media. Local and Global Health features help students apply skills in their own communities and globally. Skills for Health and Wellness features demonstrate how health skills can be used in different situations, and Health Across the Life Span features show how decisions today affect a person’s future.