I'm Tracci Dial and this is NWPBs Weekly News Now.

We'll start with an in-depth look at kratom.

This is often sold as an herbal supplement, and you'll find it in places like health food stores, gas stations, and smoke shops.

It's considered an opioid-like substance that can cause physical and psychological dependance.

NWPBs health reporter Rachel Sun looked into whether it is a supplement or a dangerous drug.

One person interviewed is Dr. Scott Phillips, Washington Poison Center's medical director.

“Your brain's receptors doesn't know whether it's man made or whether it is made from nature.

It just responds to that chemical structure.” Kratom is not regulated.

Since 2015, the Washington Poison Center reports 480 calls related to kratom.

Nearly 40 in Spokane County, 15 in Benton County, 14 in Walla Walla County and five in Whitman.

There are purported benefits, though.

You can go to our website for the full article and to hear from a Moscow, Idaho business selling it and, they say, building trust with customers.

Find that at NWPB.org.

In Washington, the state's health care authority is working to create new career pathways in the behavioral field, part of efforts to address mental health and substance use needs.

At Yakima Valley College, Danielle Fleming is a department chair and an instructor in the substance use disorder program.

“We're realizing that we need everyone to work collaboratively to address the substance use in our communities.” Collaboration and some creativity.

Today, there are lots of ways to work in behavioral health care.

Things like apprenticeship programs that allow for field experience while students are still in college.

Start Your Path is a campaign that launched in 2021.

As part of it, the Health Care Authority highlights career options that don't require advanced degrees.

To learn about some of those career paths, and more stats on why those jobs are needed, you can find the story on our website.

Now to a nonprofit called Rural People's Voice.

The group works to build civic engagement and improve quality of life for rural Washingtonians by hosting educational events and advocating.

Recently NWPB followed along as the group went door to door in statistically low voter turnout areas of Wenatchee.

Here's Rural People's Voice executive director Elana Mainer.

“I think all of us would love to see more events where candidates, instead of telling us where they stand on the issue, spend more time listening to where we all stand.

And the more we can close that barrier, the more people will see themselves as potentially somebody who could be on the school board or city council one day.” The nonprofit serves north central Washington areas, including Douglas, Chelan and Okanogan counties.

As always, the full article is up online.

You can find more on NWPB on social media, too, and of course, on YouTube.

I'm Tracci Dial with your NWPB Weekly News Now.

Thanks for joining us.