Health & Wellness News

Legislators worked to establish penalties for xylazine use and trafficking in an attempt to lessen its presence in Pennsylvania's illicit drug supply. Some say doing so made way for a new, unclassified veterinary tranquilizer to take its place — medetomidine.

Nearly a year after the Biden administration designated xylazine as an "emerging threat" to the United States, Gov. Josh Shapiro classified it as a schedule III drug, making unauthorized possession a crime in Pennsylvania. Experts say the move has partly served to clear the way for new illicit substances to enter the drug market.

Proposed federal budget cuts would impact programs such as the free summer meal program for children in the Allentown School District.

The $2.75 million payment to the federal government resolves allegations that a pharmacy technician stole controlled substances on about 40 occasions and the health network failed to institute proper controls.

Despite 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.

A generous donation from a Lehigh Valley native and others funds free swim lessons for children and adults in the River Crossing YMCA's Safety Around Water, or SAW, swim education program.

The bill would limit the manufacture, sale, distribution and use of firefighting foam containing PFAS, also known as forever chemicals, beginning in 2026.

Xylazine, 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.

The funding comes from the commonwealth’s Resilient Food Systems Infrastructure program, a cooperative agreement with the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

Known as "tranq" on the streets, an animal tranquilizer named xylazine infiltrated drug supplies throughout Pennsylvania since 2019. Its presence in the Lehigh Valley has grown, with deadly consequences.

With the Lehigh Valley under an extreme heat warning through Wednesday, area doctors are urging residents to keep hydrated and stay cool.

The U.S. Senate could vote on the proposed One Big Beautiful Bill Act this week. If passed, millions of Americans would lose access to Medicaid and SNAP benefits in order to fund border security and tax cuts to wealthy Americans.

The shooting at a Wawa in Upper Macungie Township this week may leave some in the Lehigh Valley feeling on edge and scared. An Allentown truck driver died and the suspected shooter took his own life.

Air quality in the Lehigh Valley is getting mixed reviews in the 22nd annual American Lung Association's State of the Air report released April 21.

Roughly 20% of elder care residents across Pennsylvania have yet to be vaccinated according to numbers from the Pennsylvania Department of Health.

Infectious disease specialists say one in four people who develop COVID-19 will have recurring symptoms after a month. St. Luke’s University Health Network has just rolled out a program to treat so-called “long-haulers.”

Nearly one in five residents at Pennsylvania’s long-term care facilities has yet to receive the coronavirus vaccine. But on April 15, state health officials announced some steps to close that gap.

It’s a taboo topic with serious consequences: Across the country, the suicide rate has risen more than 33% in the last decade, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

New research shows there is only a small chance of contracting the coronavirus by touching surfaces

Nearly 2 million Pennsylvanians rely on the state’s Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits in order to keep food on the table.

HARRISBURG, Pa. - Pennsylvania’s top health official says there's enough critical medical equipment in the state to meet current needs in hospitals.…

Pennsylvania is preparing to ease COVID restrictions this weekend. Bars and restaurants can serve alcohol without food, lift curfews and increase capacity. But the move comes as COVID cases are on the rise and service employees may not be vaccinated yet.

Research in a growing scientific field called ecotherapy at Harvard University shows activities like walking in the woods can help reduce stress, anxiety and depression. Even a few minutes outside can do the trick.

Bethlehem-based OraSure Technologies has submitted its new rapid COVID home test for U.S Food and Drug Administration emergency approval.