Defending Our Progress Against Preventable Deaths: 2026 Pain in the Nation Report

Join Trust for America’s Health (TFAH) for a national webinar and congressional briefing on our recently released report, Pain in the Nation 2026: The Epidemics of Alcohol, Drug, and Suicide Deaths.  

TFAH’s Pain in the Nation 2026 report finds that the United States is at a turning point, with the combined age-adjusted rate of deaths from alcohol, drugs, and suicide declining by 16 percent in 2024. While alcohol-induced, drug overdose, and suicide mortality all saw decreases, this progress remains fragile. The report explores what’s behind these recent downward trends and which demographic groups are still experiencing high rates of death from these causes. Furthermore, while the reported data represent meaningful gains, funding disruptions and severe workforce reductions within federal behavioral health and injury prevention systems threaten to undermine this progress.  

Our panel of subject matter experts will discuss steps to sustain the recent progress in reducing the combined age-adjusted rate of deaths from alcohol, drug, and suicide and to ensure that vital public health infrastructure, prevention programs, and data systems are supported. The briefing will include time for Q&A from the audience.   

Panelists

• Sameer Vohra, M.D., JD, MA, FAAP
  Sameer Vohra, M.D., JD, MA, was appointed Director of the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) effective August 1, 2022, by Governor JB Pritzker who charged him with continuing to shape a stronger IDPH for the 21st Century.
  Bio
  
• Laurel Stine, JD, MA
  Laurel Stine leads American Foundation for Suicide Prevention’s (AFSP) Washington DC-based policy team in the development and advancement of federal and state policy to save lives and bring hope to those affected by suicide.
  Bio
  

Moderator

• Tekisha Dwan Everette, Ph.D., MPA, MPH, CPH
  Tekisha Everette is TFAH’s Executive Vice President. In this role, she works in partnership with TFAH’s President and CEO to chart and implement the organization’s strategic direction and priorities, provides counsel on current and emerging policy issues, and engages with key organizations, policymakers, and other partners to advance policy priorities to improve public health and promote equity.
  Bio