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.

On the hunt for the "healthier" option at the Allentown Fair. Those in attendance weigh in on whether it's possible.

WLVR's Ryan Gaylor talks with reporters Molly Bilinski and Olivia Marble.

The kits were being handed out for free by the Northampton Co. Government's "Fake is Real" campaign, in response to the opioid crisis.

Musician and colon cancer advocate James Casey passed away this week at at the age of 40. He appeared in the Lehigh Valley earlier this year touting the importance of cancer screenings.

The President announced 10 medications that are in the first round of prescription drugs subject to Medicare negotiation. PA congresswoman Susan Wild says she will continue to fight big pharma.

About 40 people protested at Lehigh Valley Hospital Wednesday. Many said they or someone they knew had been falsely accused of medical child abuse by LVHN doctors.

A resource for children with autism just marked two years in the Lehigh Valley. Helping Hands Family in Center Valley uses applied behavioral analysis (ABA) therapy.

The Bethlehem Township Planning Commission unanimously recommended approval of land development plans for a five-story, 146-bed expansion between the Women & Babies Pavilion and the site's original tower, also set for expansion.

The marinade in a specific batch of the raw Wegmans jerk chicken may have been cross-contaminated by an equipment malfunction in the processing plant, according to the USDA.

Two new vaccines and a monoclonal antibody therapy are coming to Lehigh Valley health providers this fall to help fight RSV.

Three studies show smoke from Canadian wildfires led to a spike in people with asthma visiting emergency rooms in the United States. One study collected data from about 4,000 U.S. hospitals.

Dr. Lee Riley treats cancers at St. Luke’s University Health Network, but in his free time, he sculpts. He is the recipient of ArtsQuest’s Linny Award for Visual Artist of the Year.