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.

Good Shepherd Rehabilitation is opening a new hospital in Center Valley. The 78-bed facility opens to rehab patients Sunday, July 30th.

Those with lingering COVID-19 symptoms are part of the group of people who should stay indoors when smoke from the Canadian wildfires is particularly bad, says a Lehigh Valley doctor. He says people living with any type of lung problem should be aware of what’s happening outside.

The PACT Act makes it easier for veterans and their survivors to qualify for benefits if they served in the Middle East, Afghanistan or Vietnam. But to make the most of their benefits, they'll need to submit paperwork to the Department of Veterans Affairs by Aug. 9.

The WHO says aspartame, in large amounts, can cause cancer. A local dietician is weighing in with how bad it really is and what substitutions are out there.

A program that brings mindfulness to schools continues their efforts through summer. The Mindful Child Initiative serves more than 350 classrooms throughout the year and visits playgrounds throughout the summer.

Supplying summer lunches for free. That’s what the health educators from Weller Health Education are doing at Lehigh Valley Health Network’s 17th Street campus.

If approved, the facility would make for LVHN's third "neighborhood hospital," as two others are being built in Lower Macungie and Gilbertsville in Montgomery County.

Lehigh County’s mental health line switched from Warmline to PeerLine in cost cutting move. A new company is answering calls after more than 2 decades.

“We want to go back to Harrisburg and figure out how we can support programs like this, and how we can spread them to other parts of the state,” Lt. Gov. Austin Davis said Friday at Promise Neighborhood’s Allentown office.

Construction of a neighborhood hospital in the Gilbertsville area will be the health system's first hospital in Montgomery County.

A new health and beauty business in Easton is set to offer patrons a personalized experience. Mariposa Medical Aesthetics & Wellness Spa held a grand opening Friday.

Dr. Amy Jibilian is LVHN's new chief wellness officer. She will oversee the development of programs that promote a healthy work environment as well as help physicians avoid burnout.