Community Anti-Drug Coalitions of America to Name Former Congresswoman Mary Bono Mack Its 2013 National Leadership Award Winner

Bono Mack will accept her award Feb.7th at CADCA's 23rd Annual National Leadership Forum

WASHINGTON, Feb. 7, 2013 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- In recognition of the significant contributions she has made to the field of substance abuse prevention and long-standing support of community-based drug prevention, Community Anti-Drug Coalitions of America (CADCA) will award Former Congresswoman Mary Bono Mack the 2013 National Leadership Award.

CADCA's National Leadership Award recognizes leaders who have been longtime supporters of the community coalition movement and who use their voice and influence to educate the community about the importance of substance abuse prevention.

She will accept her award on Thursday, Feb. 7 during CADCA's 23rd annual National Leadership Forum, taking place Feb. 4-7 at the Gaylord National Hotel and Convention Center in National Harbor, MD. CADCA's National Leadership Forum is the nation's largest training for substance abuse prevention and treatment professionals and researchers, attracting more than 2500 community and state leaders from across the country.

Mary Bono Mack is widely recognized as a national leader on privacy issues, a global champion of internet freedom, and a champion for prescription drug abuse prevention. The former Congresswoman was first elected in 1998 to serve California's 45th District in a special election held to fill the seat left vacant by her late husband, the honorable Sonny Bono, who died in a tragic skiing accident.  After 14 years in public service, Bono Mack leaves Congress as a widely recognized leader on a wide range of critically important issues.  She has been at the forefront of solutions to the nationwide epidemic of prescription drug abuse, and served as Co-Chairman of the Congressional Caucus on Prescription Drug Abuse. She has sponsored several bills related to substance abuse prevention, including legislation aimed at reducing prescription drug abuse; ensuring that doctors prescribing pain medicine are properly educated and maintaining 21 as the current minimum legal drinking age.  She also served as the Co-Chair of the Youth Drug Prevention Caucus.  Recently, Bono Mack joined CADCA's Board of Directors.

"We feel honored to recognize Mary Bono Mack with our National Leadership Award.  Throughout her time in Congress, she was a true champion for substance abuse prevention and was the lead sponsor on several pieces of legislation aimed at reducing prescription drug abuse and addressing underage drinking," said Gen. Arthur T. Dean, CADCA Chairman & CEO.

"I am very honored to receive this award from CADCA. Their good work does a lot to raise the awareness of the epidemic of drug use and ultimately to save lives of countless people around our country. I look forward to our continued work together," Mary Bono Mack said.

For more information about CADCA's National Leadership Forum, visit http://forum.cadca.org.  Members of the media interested in press credentials for the National Leadership Forum should contact Natalia Martinez Duncan at (703) 706-0560 ext. 256 or via e-mail at [email protected].

CADCA (Community Anti-Drug Coalitions of America), is the national membership organization representing over 5,000 coalitions and their affiliates working to make America's communities safe, healthy and drug-free. CADCA's mission is to strengthen the capacity of community coalitions by providing technical assistance and training, public policy and advocacy, media strategies and marketing programs, conferences, and special events. For more information about CADCA, visit www.cadca.org.

Media Contact: 
Natalia Martinez Duncan (202) 344-5464

SOURCE Community Anti-Drug Coalitions of America