On December 1, the Boston Board of Health passed new tobacco policies that limit the youth's access to tobacco products.    

These new tobacco policies demand that mini cigars or cigarillos be sold in packs of five, thereby increasing the price.  Individual cigarillos and cigars used to cost Boston residents as little as 50 cents which made it an attractive option for youth. Retailers will also need to obtain a permit to sell electronic cigarettes, and it will be illegal to sell them to minors. 

The passing of these regulations is an important win for the youth at Hyde Square Task Force, who worked relentlessly on this campaign last year! HSTF is part of the Boston Alliance for Community Health.  This work has been done with generous funding from the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and the United Way/Jimmy Fund Collaborative.   

Local coordinator Howard Kang moved to Boston recently and is working at United Way. He said, "I know HSTF is a hub in JP and is grassroots and community oriented and I wanted that to be the focus of the site this year." We jumped at the chance to offer this amazing opportunity to the families with whom we work.

At HSTF, photographers came from all over the area - Worcester, Newton, Allston, South End and more, and w

To see a collage from our photo day, click  here.

ere a mixture of working professionals, amateurs, and students. Over 120 studio sessions yielded over 600 portraits taken and received by youth and families.  

A lot of smiles were found in Hyde Square and we hope the portraits will bring smiles to the faces of many people for many years. Thank you to Howard Kang and Help Portrait for an amazing event!