[{"_1":2,"_100":-5,"_101":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,76,88],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",5977926,"mediaKeyId","5793233-8e42e01e5f5b0e2f24f054f418cc7af0","parentId",5793233,"title","Northampton sets Oct. 1 effective date for ban on synthetic cannabinoids and synthetic kratom; natural kratom sales face new restrictions","audioSeconds",3169,"startMs",4460000,"endMs",7629000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=5793233-8e42e01e5f5b0e2f24f054f418cc7af0&start=4460&end=7629","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5793233-8e42e01e5f5b0e2f24f054f418cc7af0/thumbnail_4460000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/5977926/Massachusetts/Northampton-sets-Oct-1-effective-date-for-ban-on-synthetic-cannabinoids-and-synthetic-kratom-natural-kratom-sales-face-new-restrictions","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/5977926-4db9b2209e6e089766622be6b06cd720/orig.mp4?Expires=1774880854&Signature=fKwGa2sfffDBcidIbGqDGH-yUMkpSW1CwWGuPGmQEsqulzmP5mI53q0Zj7xM14KqkyCbba6vZNl~OmNE~Gmn8INhmvUT5N0h9jYDlA2h136M5tRsCeNdbyD4xzyB3Od8OXXCvtyA3Sfox-QrF9H0slhnC0GmPIR1B3spnIyByJM1dYxlYW4kpk34x8ueFQ3ZWfaWtCCdzCTCGmr7r-RvxVL8rSQEmJljf8SBt79q5NOmorCD8XYpG9kMGmD1U~lHlfHh7W~TszNfDg5APJT6tc2BDm~Ehm9IpYtpj-wEaBPfWNchat7~FPMvF0pxfbQW5ieVRXyfhAAgMooyXkDFRw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Northampton City, MA","date","2025-09-19T16:23:58Z","article","The Board of Health voted on Sept. 18 to proceed with an Oct. 1 effective date for a regulation that prohibits the manufacture, sale and distribution of synthetically derived cannabinoids and synthetically derived kratom in Northampton, and the board adopted several immediate restrictions on sales of raw, unaltered kratom products sold in the city.

Board action and amendments: The board reaffirmed a prior unanimous vote to adopt the prohibition on synthetically derived cannabinoids and synthetic kratom after the city solicitor, Attorney Sewald, reviewed the regulation and reported no legal red flags. Dr. Joanne Levin, chair of the Board of Health, summarized the department’s intent to proceed and asked the board to confirm an Oct. 1 implementation date; board members agreed.

At the same meeting the board voted unanimously to add sale restrictions for raw/unaltered kratom products that are currently exempted from the synthetic ban. The additions require that natural kratom: be sold only to persons age 21 or older; not be sold by self-service; require age verification consistent with existing tobacco‑sale procedures; and be accompanied by an information sheet describing potential risks. The board said those amendments could be incorporated into the regulation without a new public hearing because they set sale parameters rather than impose a new prohibition.

Rationale and enforcement: Dr. Levin described the board’s concern that novel, unregulated products were appearing in permitted retail stores and said the local action follows federal and state developments. Board members discussed distinctions offered by federal agencies between synthetically derived kratom analogs and naturally occurring kratom leaf, and cited federal statements that synthetics are more potent and more associated with overdose risk. Environmental health and inspection staff told the board they will review product labels and visible packaging and will notify retailers of the Oct. 1 effective date and of the new sale requirements for natural kratom. Enforcement measures in the regulation include suspension of Board of Health permits for violations.

Next steps: Staff said they will circulate the revised regulation and the new retailer guidance, notify permitted retailers and publish a public-facing fact page about the products and risks. The board asked staff to continue the conversation at the next meeting about whether to pursue a full prohibition of natural kratom or to adopt additional restrictions; the board indicated it will invite legal counsel (Cheryl Sabara, who drafted language for another community) to review and discuss options before taking any further regulatory step.

Votes: Board members voted to adopt the Oct. 1 effective date for the synthetic ban and to approve the sales‑restriction amendments for natural kratom. The recorded votes for the amendments were unanimous (Janet Grant, Dr. Suzanne Smith, Dr. Cynthia Sawokas and Dr. Joanne Levin all voted yes).","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Board of Health | September 18, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","The Board of Health confirmed an Oct. 1 effective date for a regulation banning manufacture, sale and distribution of synthetically derived cannabinoids and synthetically derived kratom, and voted to add sale restrictions for raw/unaltered kratom: minimum age 21, no self-service, ID verification and a required risk-information handout.","taxTitle","Northampton City, Hampshire County, Massachusetts","taxId",68541,"location","Massachusetts","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},5977931,"Northampton survey finds mental-health, health-care access and housing top community priorities",3402,594000,3996000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5793233-8e42e01e5f5b0e2f24f054f418cc7af0&start=594&end=3996","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5793233-8e42e01e5f5b0e2f24f054f418cc7af0/thumbnail_594000.jpg","/articles/5977931/Massachusetts/Northampton-survey-finds-mental-health-health-care-access-and-housing-top-community-priorities","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/5977931-ecef2e6b7eb06ac59a32150a5e79510d/orig.mp4?Expires=1774880854&Signature=Sv6yHU8XQLZ6Mzb8XclI3BjTj4pcYN3PgrpxIuotGXqNXC3cwRQzfkeV6aK53KaTaoYl16USIBi9eXnlWDsAiX3IdXF2PHTiFScGG44BCf-0hjCzrM36QtIghkFil1EbPs4lUc3~ZkrarZ-1pdo6EiiuhrPIk~nEEJitUzsiAhzjVVP2a11QMLjnDZ2xM9YuxrziRiULLErjBRHV--7PFSmcNBUq3VP-GuR2zhvMKK8be3-2Qo-aA~-H5F1nU4ZAnYzGna1KB7n~zc4eoR-BO2rdd0TsB5HMclIR5xVzlCPkl7xJM6lh5N1J5g2CqsnUaV32279OHy~Wy6ctIPsXug__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Staff from the Department of Health and Human Services presented results of a city-run community health needs assessment to the Board of Health on Sept. 18, saying the survey reached 2,244 respondents and that mental health, access to health care, dental care for lower-income residents and housing affordability were among the top community concerns.

“Kyle” (the department analyst who led the study) told the board the assessment combined a literature review, stakeholder interviews and a community survey run from last fall through spring. “Our goal when we launched was to reach 5,000 Northampton residents,” Kyle said, noting the final response of 2,244 provided a large sample for analysis. The survey asked about personal and dependent health concerns, health-care access, mental health, community strengths and weaknesses, and demographics.

Major findings: Mental health was the top health concern overall and was especially prominent among respondents younger than 50 and those reporting on dependents 0–18; nearly 70% of respondents reported increased anxiety or stress over the prior two years, Kyle said. Access to providers — specifically long wait times and difficulty finding clinicians accepting new patients — was the primary barrier to both primary and mental health care for respondents. Dental care emerged as the top concern for households under the Massachusetts income threshold of $50,000; cost and lack of insurance were the most-cited barriers.

Housing and community needs: More than half of respondents said more affordable, higher-quality housing would improve quality of life in Northampton. While rental respondents reported landlord responsiveness generally meeting legal expectations, many renters reported inadequate home cooling at times and said heat affected health and productivity. Respondents also cited social connection and “third places” — informal public gathering places — as important to community mental health.

Equity and subpopulations: The presentation noted 106 survey respondents self-identified as transgender; that group reported higher rates of discrimination when seeking care (65%) and had greater overlap with younger, lower-income and renter populations. Stakeholder interviews and the literature review also flagged substance use disorder as a significant community weakness.

Next steps and uses: Department staff said they will publish the full report and topic-specific briefs, share results with City Council and local health partners (including Cooley Dickinson Hospital’s Healthy Communities program), and use the data to inform program priorities, potential funding requests and collaborations — for example, expanding case management and social-connection programming, targeting mental-health clinician access and exploring mobile or school-based dental services. Board members and staff discussed coordinating these findings with other local evaluations (UMass evaluations of DCC services and emergency-services data) and potential funding streams for implementation.

Board response: Members praised the survey’s scope and suggested using the findings to inform policy requests and recruitment strategies for primary care and mental-health clinicians. The board asked staff to continue outreach to partners and to prepare public-facing summaries for policymakers and residents.","City DHHS presented results from a community health needs assessment that reached 2,244 respondents; mental health, provider availability, dental access for lower-income residents and housing affordability emerged as leading concerns and possible areas for programmatic follow-up.",{"_33":89,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":90,"_41":91,"_43":92,"_45":93,"_47":94,"_49":95,"_51":96,"_53":97,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":98,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":99,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},5977936,"Northampton health officials urge flu shots, target COVID outreach for older adults",522,130000,652000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5793233-8e42e01e5f5b0e2f24f054f418cc7af0&start=130&end=652","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5793233-8e42e01e5f5b0e2f24f054f418cc7af0/thumbnail_130000.jpg","/articles/5977936/Massachusetts/Northampton-health-officials-urge-flu-shots-target-COVID-outreach-for-older-adults","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/5977936-16aea84bdb48cedcec95fe9496c8e601/orig.mp4?Expires=1774880854&Signature=YL~OYs1b2jZ1XZMDZZd6MLLPpovnEdJocK-WPk568QlJZU1v041fwZixTj64MnTEjVdJMvAqI1BWdmS~GZX~86xj~R0ciBmSJaPJXa7OG5SEsWcize~YQsYCO8wvln-Lys4aN9zmNQ9SYm5BL5A7Iv2xE4jOyCJWIfQKwRoSxmakk-zAD5yNFdg41ZGhlXfPe2ro3u8pxoHZHDJxhRi4Ils6oMLZ-daiMDnKzajxO3~HLowhs3aaHjpBO8pvMuCNqkQ3oYniV31Hz9sKSI55I~guitbXWJNygyDqCIoro2vc5TTY~7kQuHfJZ42JxLqGRMIUzmfOj2g2XWdXwLt8zQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Public health staff told the Board of Health on Sept. 18 that influenza vaccination is the department’s top immunization priority for the upcoming 2024–25 respiratory season and urged residents — particularly older adults and people who face barriers to care — to get vaccinated. Jennifer Denkewitz, a public health nurse with the Department of Health and Human Services, said local clinics will prioritize outreach to older residents, the homebound and people who live in parts of the city with limited pharmacy access.

The department emphasized the renewed urgency after last season, when “flu cases spiked to their highest levels in over 15 years,” Denkewitz said, and national and state flu vaccination rates fell. “Flu vaccines are safe, effective, and it is the best defense against serious illness, hospitalizations, and unfortunately death,” Denkewitz told the board.

Why it matters: Board members said they were concerned about access, especially for older adults who cannot travel to chain pharmacies. Denkewitz said COVID-19 vaccine ordering for state-supplied doses (intended for pediatric patients and uninsured adults) had not yet been activated by the CDC but was expected to be available within days, with shipments arriving in the coming weeks. Until shipments arrive, Denkewitz said parents should seek pediatric COVID-19 doses from pediatricians and pharmacies that already stock pediatric formulations.

Department plan and details: Denkewitz described a two-track strategy: broad encouragement of annual flu vaccination and a targeted COVID-19 vaccine program for people 65 and older at public clinics and senior centers. Local pharmacies, she said, remain important access points for RSV, flu, pneumonia and COVID-19 vaccines for people age 5 and older. She also said the department is monitoring respiratory illness indicators daily and watching wastewater signals; she reported that wastewater had shown a recent rise but was trending down and that emergency department visits for respiratory illness were “very low” as of Sept. 18.

Board questions and practical notes: Board members asked where the department gets emergency-department data and whether that information is posted online; Denkewitz said the department uses the Massachusetts Department of Public Health dashboard and that ED and wastewater metrics are maintained on the department website. Several board members described mixed availability at local pharmacies and recommended that the department post clear guidance about where residents can receive recommended vaccines.

What’s next: The department said it will continue public clinics focused on older adults and coordinate messaging about vaccine availability and eligibility with pharmacies and community health centers. Denkewitz and board members encouraged residents to check with their healthcare providers for vaccine eligibility and to use local pharmacies as available.","Public health staff told the Board of Health that flu remains the primary immunization priority after a severe season; COVID-19 vaccine shipments for state-supplied doses were expected to begin soon and the department is offering targeted clinics for residents 65 and older.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Northampton sets Oct. 1 effective date for ban on synthetic cannabinoids and synthetic kratom; natural kratom sales face new restrictions

Northampton survey finds mental-health, health-care access and housing top community priorities

Northampton health officials urge flu shots, target COVID outreach for older adults