Health & Wellness News

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 anti-violence program is funded through a $1.28 million grant from the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency. The program will continue next school year.

Lehigh County residents can call the warmline for mental health needs.

Residents came to learn about the causes, risks, and treatment for a common dangerous condition in the first of the Macungie Institute's heart health lecture series.

The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force is now recommending that all adults under age 65 get routine anxiety screenings. We explain what that means for you and why some doctors say this is a good change.

Bethlehem residents told city council they're concerned about an odor suspected to be coming from a nearby business.

Places that pay for plasma have popped up in the Lehigh Valley. Are they negatively impacting donations at volunteer centers?

The Veterans Hub of Northeastern PA has started offering counseling for veterans every Wednesday at a new clinic at St. Luke's Lehighton campus.

Infectious disease expert Dr. Jeffrey Jahre says the booster is safe, but still questions its effectiveness.

Lehigh Valley Health Network has begun administering a new type of coronavirus vaccine.

The clinics will be will be from 4 to 6 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 25, followed by another clinic at the same time Sept. 1.

Philadelphia Phillies’ slugger Bryce Harper kicked off his stay with the Lehigh Valley Ironpigs on Tuesday with a home run in his first at-bat.

A pilot program using a translation service on iPads is now in place in Allentown, giving EMS workers the ability to connect patients with an interpreter 24 hours a day, seven days a week by video or phone call.

It’s a place people can go for help with emotional situations such as grief and depression.