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Veterinary sedative joins drug epidemic

Editorials

It is breathtaking to watch the manner in which the substance abuse epidemic in our region continues to evolve. Just last month, officials in Gallia County in southern Ohio, warned a growing danger has reared its head — Xylazine. The powerful veterinary sedative, which is, of course, not intended for human use at all, has been found in the region; sometimes mixed with fentanyl and other opioids. Of course, it would not be foolish to believe that such drugs are out in our own readership areas and not limited to southern Ohio. A wider area — or “turf” — coverage the better for ...

Needs for LTC pharmacies must continue to be met

Letters to the Editor

To the editor: As a nurse anesthesiologist and owner of a nursing practice, I’ve come to really appreciate the collaborative ecosystem that is healthcare. Even something as simple as a prescription shows how interconnected our system is — you’ve got scientists developing treatments, providers making clinical decisions, and pharmacists making sure everything’s used properly, each bringing essential expertise to the table. Unfortunately, when we overlook the working parts that make our healthcare system function, we risk serious disruption. In under two weeks, that is exactly ...

Sometimes it’s more than a common cold

Editorials

It is the season during which many of us simply accept that we will get the common cold or come down with the flu, but failure to do all we can to prevent such viruses can be dangerous. In some cases, it can be deadly. Last week, Ohio reported its first pediatric flu death of the season — a teenager under 18 in Greene County, according to state health officials. In fact, each year there are between one and seven pediatric flu deaths in the state. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, nationwide 6,300 to 52,000 people died from the flu annually between 2010 ...

Late-arriving ballots will not be counted

Local Columns

Secretary of State Frank LaRose, a Republican responsible for overseeing elections in Ohio, often says that in this state “it’s easy to vote and hard to cheat.” Yet Republicans continue to follow President Donald Trump’s lead by restricting voting despite the minuscule instances of fraud in Ohio. The latest law, approved Nov. 19 by the General Assembly and signed Dec. 19 by Gov. Mike DeWine, requires all mail-in ballots to arrive at county boards of elections no later than the same day as the election. Before that, voters had to have their ballots postmarked by the day before ...

AG Yost highlights 2025 human trafficking wins

Local Columns

Reducing the demand for human trafficking remained a top priority for Attorney General Dave Yost in 2025, as evidenced by task force successes and changed lives. Following is a press release from his office that we present as a guest column today on criminal activity we should all be aware of and on the look out for during our day-to-day lives: “Our message is simple: Don’t buy sex in Ohio,” said AG Yost. “Every time we arrest a trafficker, raid an illicit massage parlor or free a victim from a tormentor, we move closer to the day when no human is bought or sold in our ...

Wrinkles can be brought on quicker with UV light exposure

Local Columns

Editor’s Note: The following column was originally published Nov. 14, 2020. Thanks to breakthroughs in medicine and nutrition in recent years, we are living longer than ever before. But this increase in life expectancy also brings an increase in the number of diseases, injuries and impairments that affect older adults. With this in mind, we at the local Visiting Angels office in Salem have created this series of articles to keep our older population and their families informed and to offer some practical advice for meeting the challenges faced by seniors and those who care for ...