On October 23rd, Prevention Action Alliance will host the Your Role in Prevention luncheon at the Columbus Zoo’s Africa Event Center. We are honored to welcome the Honorable Mary Bono as our keynote speaker. A former member of the U.S. House of Representatives, Bono has spent decades championing bipartisan policy efforts to address substance misuse and the opioid crisis.
When we sat down with her ahead of the luncheon, she shared how deeply personal this work is for her:
“I grew up believing that substance misuse was just my family’s issue. But once I was in Congress, I realized it was every community, every neighborhood, and far too many families. That made me decide: I need to break through my own stigma and tackle these issues publicly.”
A Call to Refocus: The Next Wave of Substance Misuse
Throughout her career, Bono has been a relentless advocate for accountability across federal agencies, urging leaders to declare the opioid epidemic, demand accurate data, and pursue both prevention and enforcement strategies. She recalls urging the FDA, DEA, NIDA, and others to act faster, reminding them that lives were being lost while bureaucracy slowed progress.
But even as progress has been made, Bono cautioned that attention is fading from the opioid crisis while stimulant misuse among young people is on the rise. Her call to action for policymakers and communities is clear:
“An addiction problem in one family affects the whole community. Policymakers must remember they have oversight of the very agencies created to protect the public. We have to hold them accountable for accurate data, stronger oversight, and real prevention. At the same time, we need to recognize that drugs follow the money—criminal networks will keep exploiting weaknesses until we disrupt them. Prevention and demand reduction are key.”
Creating Resilient Communities Against Substance Misuse
Mary Bono highlights the importance of having open conversations about substance misuse across all parts of a community. For example, corporate leaders are recognizing the need for prevention programs in the workplace:
“Some hardware and home improvement retailers have been thinking about this a lot, because workplace injuries really affect their business. They implement prevention campaigns because they can’t have employees coming in impaired, and substance misuse affecting an employee’s family creates additional stressors. There’s not a one-size-fits-all approach, but there is a one-size-fits-all need to have the conversation.”
These conversations are about more than compliance or safety; they help break the stigma that surrounds substance misuse and challenge the misconception that it’s someone else’s problem. Bono emphasizes that prevention efforts must reach families, workplaces, schools, and other community spaces. By openly addressing substance misuse, communities can reduce harm, support those in need, and create an environment where proactive prevention is possible:
“In every community, someone is affected—maybe a child who is struggling, a family under stress, or someone impacted by a loved one’s substance misuse. Making it okay to talk about these issues is where many of the solutions will come from.”
How Can Lunch Make An Impact?
For policymakers, business leaders, and community advocates, Bono sees gatherings like our luncheon as essential:
“When legislators and officials attend events like this, they realize how much critical mass there is—that people care, that there’s support, and that the issue is everywhere. The data is there. The hurt is there. It’s the perfect opportunity to stay on top of this work.”
When asked why people should attend the luncheon, her message was simple and powerful:
“This is an important issue for every family and community. Attendees will meet passionate people who care deeply, and they’ll walk away knowing they have a role to play in prevention and in shaping policy. Everyone has a purpose in this fight.”
Join Us
Be part of this important conversation. Reserve your seat at the Your Role in Prevention luncheon on October 23, 2025, at the Columbus Zoo’s Africa Event Center. Together, we can reduce stigma, strengthen communities, and prevent future loss.
