Addiction

Fentanyl Powder Misinformation

Misinformation about fentanyl exposure threatens to undermine overdose response

Medetomidine is replacing xylazine in Philly's street fentanyl supply

Fentanyl Test Strip

Targeted ads make compulsive buying easy. Here's how to spend mindfully

Shopping Addiction

Delco's new overdose response team seeks to connect drug users to treatment

Delco Overdose Response

Mayor Parker's 2026 budget proposal calls for tax cuts, higher parking rates and more housing spending

Cherelle Parker budget 2025

For consulting on Peacock's 'Long Bright River,' Savage Sisters is getting a new recovery home

sarah laurel savage sisters

Ahead of her Philly show, Kathy Griffin opens up about her battles with cancer, addiction and PTSD

Kathy Griffin PTSD

One year into Mayor Parker's Kensington intervention, city officials tout lower crime, better community services

Kensington Crime Parker

In Kensington, integrated medical care can have a 'huge' impact on HIV transmission

Kensington HIV Clinic

Weight-loss drugs Ozempic, Wegovy help people drink less and smoke fewer cigarettes, new research finds

Ozempic Alcohol Cravings

Heavy marijuana use has a 'significant' impact on memory and attention, study finds

Cannabis Use Memory

Ozempic and Wegovy are helping many Americans lose weight, but they also may have other beneficial uses

Weight Loss Drugs

New court in Kensington will serve as a pipeline to drug treatment, Mayor Parker says

Parker Wellness Court

In Kensington, outreach workers give out food, clothing and toiletries from trucks, but potential restrictions loom

Mobile outreach Philly

The FDA wants to limit nicotine in cigarettes — a move that could save millions of lives

FDA nicotine limit

Philly to offer year-long housing to 336 people in addiction recovery at Holmesburg facility

Riverview Wellness Village

Stimulant users are caught in fatal 'fourth wave' of opioid epidemic

Stimulants Cocaine Fentanyl

Women are more likely to binge drink when their estrogen levels are high, study finds

Binge Drinking Estrogen

Abington teen starts 'little library' to help children of people experiencing homelessness and addiction

Amelia Fletcher Little Library 2

Fewer teens are using alcohol, cigarettes and marijuana than before the pandemic

Teen Drug Use

The drop in overdose deaths may be the result of more veterinary tranquilizers – and less fentanyl – in street drugs

Drug Overdose Deaths

Vaping, even without nicotine, can have harmful cardiovascular effects

Vaping Cardiovascular Effects

Heavy drinking surged during the COVID-19 pandemic and hasn't let up since

Heavy Drinking COVID

Menthol cigarette ban would push people toward therapies to quit smoking, study suggests

Menthol Cigarette Study

Philly hospitals test new strategy for 'tranq dope' withdrawal – and it keeps patients from walking out before their treatment is done

Tranq Dope Withdrawal

When primary care includes behavioral health services, people in addiction are more likely to seek treatment

Primary Care Opioids

NJ attorney general sues TikTok, accusing app of exploiting teens for profit

tiktok lawsuit nj

Companies keep selling harmful products – but history shows consumers can win in the end

Drug overdose deaths decline in Philly for first time in 5 years

More than half of U.S. jails don't provide medication to treat opioid addiction

MOUD

To help curtail smoking on subways, SEPTA is handing out flyers with information on how to quit

SEPTA City Hall

Vaping may have an adverse effect on the brains of college students

Teenagers who are depressed are twice as likely to vape, study shows

Teen Vaping Depression

New mental health walk-in clinics in Philly and Montgomery County aim to reduce demands on hospitals

Mental Health Walk-in Clinic

Even smoking once a day shortly before pregnancy increases risk of serious health issues for newborns

Smoking Pregnancy

To help parents facing adversity nurture their children, a Delaware prof created a program now used by 10 countries

Mary Dozier Delaware

Montgomery County to open crisis center for people facing mental health and addiction emergencies

Montgomery County Crisis

LGBTQ people smoke cigarettes at higher rates, and they face barriers to quitting

LGBTQ Tobacco Use

New research suggests estrogen and progesterone could play role in opioid addiction and relapse

Opioid Addiction Hormones

Smoking cessation programs should combine behavioral interventions with medications, new guidelines say

WHO smoking

Many young adults who began vaping as teens can't shake the habit

Philly's 'dope' is ever changing, and that poses challenges for health care workers on the front lines

drugs front line medicine

Philly distributes $3.1 million from opioid settlement to 43 community programs

Opioid Settlement Funds North Philly

Page 1 of 12 next

IBX Dementia Support

To support people with dementia, IBX teams up with brain health clinic

Pornography Brain Changes

Pornography may be commonplace, but research shows it causes lasting harm to the brain and...

Bezich Family

Relationships are a great motivational source for healthy living — at any age

Supreme Court PrEP

Preventive care may no longer be free in 2026 depending on Supreme Court case

Gonorrhea Antibiotic Treatment

Gonorrhea is on the verge of being impossible to treat, but a new antibiotic may alter that course

Technology Cognitive Decline

Technology use may help ward off cognitive decline — not expedite it

Just In

The contents of this website, such as text, graphics, images, and other material contained on this website, are for informational purposes only and do not constitute medical advice.

ahealthierphilly is sponsored by Independence Blue Cross, the leading health insurance organization in Southeastern Pennsylvania, serving nearly 2.5 million people in the region, providing health news and related information that leads to a more informed, healthier life.

ahealthierphilly and its health-related information resources are not a substitute for the medical advice, diagnosis, and treatment that patients receive from their physicians or health care providers and are not meant to be the practice of medicine, the practice of nursing, or to carry out any professional health care advice or service in the state where you live. Nothing in this website is meant to be used for medical or nursing diagnosis or professional treatment.

Always seek the advice of your physician or other licensed health care provider. Always consult your health care provider before beginning any new treatment, or if you have any questions regarding your health condition. You should not disregard medical advice, or delay seeking medical advice, because of something you read on this site. In the event of a medical emergency, call a doctor or 911 immediately.

This website does not recommend or endorse any specific tests, physicians, procedures, opinions, or other information that may be mentioned on this website. Descriptions of, references to, or links to other products, publications, or services does not imply endorsement of any kind. Reliance on any information provided by this website is solely at your own risk.

Although we try to keep the information on the site as accurate as possible, ahealthierphilly disclaims any warranty concerning its accuracy, timeliness and completeness of content, and any other warranty, express or implied, including warranties of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose. ahealthierphilly also reserves the right to temporarily or permanently discontinue this website, any page or any functionality at any time and without any notice.

The website and its content are provided on an “as is” basis.

© 2025 WWB Holdings, LLC. All rights reserved