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The final few days of the year are always filled with remembrance. People spend time thinking about the biggest wins and losses of the year, and for ADAO, 2025 was filled with both. But you were by our side the entire time, and for that, we are eternally grateful. As we welcome 2026, we are given another year to advance our mission to prevent and eliminate asbestos-caused diseases, 365 days to protect lives from a deadly carcinogen that should have been relegated to the past a long time ago.
We hope you’ll stay by our side in the coming year. There are just a few more hours in 2025 to make a year-end gift to support ADAO. The start of this year brings renewed resolve, but also renewed challenges, including troubling setbacks that continue to raise serious public health concerns.
Demolition began on the White House East Wing in October of last year. More than two months later, no publicly available documentation has been released confirming that the required asbestos inspections and abatement were completed before demolition. Federal law mandates these protections, which are in place to protect everyone from the demolition workers, White House staff, tourists, DC residents, and the president himself. ADAO continues to speak out where silence persists, calling for accountability, transparency, and strict adherence to laws designed to protect the public health of all Americans. Major news outlets have echoed these concerns, underscoring both their urgency and national significance.
Our National Spokesperson, Jordan Zevon, continues to remind us why our work is important. His father, Warren Zevon, a Grammy-winning musician and Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductee, lost his life to mesothelioma. What began as a deeply personal loss became a lifelong commitment to ensure that no other family endures the same preventable tragedy. His voice helps connect policy, prevention, and the human cost of asbestos exposure.
ADAO is also proud to share the 2025 Asbestos Awareness and Prevention Conference presentation and honoree videos, themed “Building on Dr. Selikoff’s Legacy in Asbestos Science, Prevention & Justice.” We extend our sincere gratitude to our presenters, sponsors, and volunteers whose dedication made our 20th conference impactful and enduring. We’ve also taken time to look back and document the moments and events that defined our work in 2025, bringing them together in a blog that reflects what we accomplished and what still lies ahead.
An estimated 40,000 Americans die each year from asbestos-related diseases. These are not just statistics; they are parents, partners, workers, and heroes whose deaths were preventable. To address ongoing concerns about asbestos exposure and cancer risk, we have published an updated, curated Top Ten Facts About Asbestos Exposure. As we build our mission-driven 2026 programs, ADAO has also announced sponsorship opportunities for organizations interested in supporting our work in prevention, policy, and justice.
We are jumping into the New Year feet first and ready to work. This January, ADAO will join the International Association of Fire Fighters in recognizing Firefighter Cancer Awareness Month. Firefighters face heightened cancer risks due in part to toxic exposures encountered in the line of duty, including asbestos. Protecting those who protect us requires vigilance, strong enforcement of safety standards, education, and unwavering commitment to prevention.
Thank you for standing with us. Your engagement, your voice, and your support make this work possible. Follow ADAO on social media, share our resources, and help amplify the truth.
In unity,
Linda Reinstein, ADAO, President & CEO
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