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Jay Bradley/LehighValleyNews.comDespite not being approved for human consumption, veterinary tranquilizers are infiltrating the illicit drug supply in Pennsylvania. Harm reduction specialists and health care professionals say these overdoses can't be approached solely with naloxone, the opioid overdose reversal drug. -
Makenzie Christman/LehighValleyNews.comXylazine, an animal-grade tranquilizer that's not approved for human use, has taken Pennsylvania's illicit drug supply by storm. Known on the streets as "tranq," it accounted for almost 1 in 4 overdose deaths in Pennsylvania by 2023. Last year in Lehigh County, it was a contributing cause of death in 20 of the 112 deadly overdoses, or 17.9 percent of cases.
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State Rep. Jennifer O’Mara, D-Delaware County, joined a group of legislators and firefighters Thursday to discuss an upcoming act which will ensure access to PTSI care for first responders. -
Local healthcare providers and legislators appeared a press conference at Valley Youth House in Bethlehem to shed light on children’s mental health issues and to advocate for continued state and federal funding.
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Follow the journey of an adolescent boy living with PANDAS, a rare condition that causes sudden, severe psychiatric symptoms after a strep infection. He and his family navigate the challenges of this condition and find hope through treatment in the Lehigh Valley.
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Bethlehem Area school directors want to ban cell phone use at the district's middle schools and limit access to the handheld devices at the high schools.
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The Parkland School District's board approved a comprehensive plan Tuesday, laying out the district's priorities for the next three years.
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As the winter months pass through, several Lehigh Valley emergency homeless shelters have seen an influx of individuals coming in. For some, this is putting a strain on resources.
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Hundreds showed up at Payrow Plaza in Bethlehem to support a march for women's rights on International Women's Day on Saturday.
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A panel discussion of female achievers from the Lehigh Valley was held in observance of International Women's Day at Renaissance Allentown Hotel.
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A donation to Essentials Café today, on Moravian Day of Giving, will help the organization continue to serve 400 breakfast and lunch meals per week to those in need in our community.
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More than 450 students from across Pennsylvania gathered for Aevidum Live, a conference focusing on speaking up about depression and suicide prevention, and encouraging others to help stop the stigma of mental health help.
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The third annual Revolutions for Inclusion Bike Ride raises money for the Easter Pennsylvania Down Syndrome Center. A local father's memory lives on through the third annual fundraising event.
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State Rep. Mike Schlossberg, D-Lehigh, is the architect of a bill that would allocate $100 million of federal American Rescue Plan funding for mental health programs. It passed the House last week and is under state Senate consideration.
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The smoke may be clearing, but anxiety from the eerie event may stick with us. A Lehigh Valley therapist has some ways to get past the uneasy feelings left behind after this week's smoke-filled skies.
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Allentown school board is considering whether Raub Middle School would benefit from a $1.2 million grant where several community groups would work with at-risk middle school students over two years, under a proposed plan.
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The bill, spearheaded by state Rep. Mike Schlossberg, would dedicate American Rescue Plan money to training mental health care providers, creating more suicide prevention programs and supporting specialty courts.
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The 21st Century program is to help students with academic support and art and music enrichment.
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Loneliness, isolation and social disconnect are a public health crisis in the United States. Brittany Sweeney hosts a community conversation to examine the factors that contribute to isolation — and what we can do to avoid it.
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A housing facility for inmates with severe mental illness is now open in Northampton County. The Shiloh Restoration Center will have 8-beds and provide mental and behavioral health support.
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The free classes will take place at Cedar Beach and ArtsWalk parks through June, with the Cedar Beach sessions extending through the summer. The classes are a partnership between the yoga studios and the city's Parks and Recreation Department.
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Take a look at stories throughout the week of which we are most proud, had a profound impact on readers or that you might want to look at again.
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A new advisory from the U.S. Surgeon General warns of the harmful effects social media can have on the well-being of kids and teens. A psychologist from the University of Pennsylvania has advice for parents.
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A Lehigh Valley author is releasing a new self-help book on anxiety. He said he saw the need for more information on the topic following the pandemic.
