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.

A plan to build a 144-bed behavioral health facility is in the works, as Lehigh Valley Health Network and United Health Services partner up. The goal is to address a growing need in the valley.

Pennsylvania lawmakers are considering a host of changes to the state’s cannabis laws that would expand who is eligible for a medical marijuana card.

Anyone enrolled in Pennsylvania's Medicaid or CHIP programs will soon start getting information about benefits renewal – a process that’s been on hold for the last several years because of the pandemic.

Super Bowl Sunday is a big eating day. Health experts are reminding people of some tips to avoid foodborne illnesses during the big game.

WLVR's Brad Klein spoke with Parkland area reporter Olivia Marble about the issues at play and the atmosphere at the meeting as residents spoke on a proposed recovery house near Cetronia Elementary.

Some spoke about the need for recovery houses, and others spoke about the potential harm it could bring to the children.

Nigerian immigrant, Doris Ezomo has tapped into her pension to help others. She started a nursing school.

Monkey Knife Fight 2023, described as “the hardest charity ride you'll ever love to hate” is happening on April Fools' Day, and that is no joke.

St. Luke's University Health Network opened 6 pediatric specialty labs across the Lehigh Valley. The labs are designed to make children and their caregivers feel more at ease when receiving services.

The city of Allentown is addressing the issue of period poverty. They launched an initiative to see how great the need is for menstrual products among those who live there.

The federal government's pandemic-era prohibition against kicking people off Medicaid is ending, meaning that hundreds of thousands of people in Pennsylvania face losing free health insurance. Many people who stand to lose Medicaid coverage have no idea that the changes are coming.

Lehigh University and St. Luke's University Health Network are working together to create a biomaterial that would help regenerate cartilage. The project is funded by the National Institutes of Health.