Linda Reinstein

Last updated
Linda Reinstein
Linda Reinstein 2012.jpg
Born (1955-12-28) December 28, 1955 (age 69)
San Diego, California
OccupationCofounder of the Asbestos Disease Awareness Organization (ADAO)
Known forPublic Health and Environmental Justice Advocacy

Linda Reinstein, BCPA (born December 28, 1955, San Diego, California), is an American public health advocate and the president and co-founder of the Asbestos Disease Awareness Organization (ADAO), a nonprofit dedicated to preventing asbestos exposure and eliminating asbestos-related diseases through education, advocacy, and community engagement. She is recognized for her decades of policy work, international public health outreach, and for integrating patient-centered advocacy into national and global asbestos-prevention initiatives. [1]

Contents

Reinstein became an advocate after her husband, Alan Reinstein, was diagnosed with mesothelioma, a cancer caused by asbestos exposure. Following his death, she co-founded ADAO with Doug Larkin to expand public awareness of asbestos hazards, improve prevention strategies, and support individuals and families affected by asbestos-related diseases. As president and CEO, she has used digital communications, storytelling, and coalition-building to unite patients, medical experts, labor organizations, and policymakers. Her work highlights the ongoing health burden of asbestos, including tens of thousands of U.S. deaths annually from diseases such as mesothelioma, lung cancer, and asbestosis. [2]

Prevention and Policy Work

Reinstein has been a leading figure in national and global asbestos-prevention initiatives worldwide. Through ADAO, she helped establish and expand National Asbestos Awareness Week [3] and Global Asbestos Awareness Week [4] , two major public education campaigns that highlight asbestos exposure risks and promote evidence-based prevention strategies. She has also collaborated with congressional offices to help draft and advance 20 U.S. Senate Asbestos Awareness Week Resolutions, which formally recognize the public health threat posed by asbestos and reinforce national prevention efforts.

A central focus of her legislative work includes sustained advocacy for the Alan Reinstein Ban Asbestos Now (ARBAN) Act [5] , comprehensive federal legislation designed to prohibit all forms of asbestos in the United States. Reinstein also played an active role in the development, passage, and early implementation of the Frank R. Lautenberg Chemical Safety for the 21st Century Act [6] , the bipartisan modernization of the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA). Her advocacy helped ensure that asbestos was prioritized for evaluation under the updated law, ultimately contributing to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Part 1 Chrysotile Asbestos Rule, which bans asbestos in six conditions of use [7] .

Global Presentations and U.S. Congressional Hearings

Reinstein has delivered hundreds of presentations on public health, environmental justice, and asbestos prevention. She has testified before both the United States Senate and House of Representatives and has presented at numerous bipartisan congressional staff briefings. Her public speaking includes appearances at:

References

  1. ↑ The Fight to Ban Asbestos Continues for Local Woman, The Beach Reporter, March 11, 2009 (accessed on August 26, 2012)
  2. ↑ "EPA Asbestos Ban". www.apha.org. Retrieved 2025-05-29.
  3. ↑ Krakoff, Justin (2025-03-27). "Merkley, Daines Champion Bipartisan Effort to Designate National Asbestos Awareness Week". Merkley. Retrieved 2025-11-19.
  4. ↑ "IOSH calls for asbestos action". IOSH. Retrieved 2025-11-19.
  5. ↑ Sen. Merkley, Jeff [D-OR (2025-09-16). "S.2811 - 119th Congress (2025-2026): Alan Reinstein Ban Asbestos Now Act of 2025". www.congress.gov. Retrieved 2025-11-19.
  6. ↑ admin (2016-06-29). "TSCA Signing Marks ADAO's Biggest Victory to Date, and a Strong First Step Toward Asbestos Ban". ADAO - Asbestos Disease Awareness Organization. Retrieved 2025-11-19.
  7. ↑ US EPA, OCSPP (2020-03-18). "Final Risk Evaluation for Asbestos, Part 1: Chrysotile Asbestos". www.epa.gov. Retrieved 2025-11-19.
  8. ↑ "Govinfo".
  9. ↑ "Govinfo".
  10. ↑ admin (2024-07-22). "ADAO RELEASE: PUBLIC HEALTH AND SAFETY EXPERTS URGE CONGRESS TO BAN ASBESTOS IN CONGRESSIONAL BRIEFING". ADAO - Asbestos Disease Awareness Organization. Retrieved 2025-11-19.
  11. ↑ Linda Reinstein presentation at TEDx, March 4, 2010 on YouTube
  12. ↑ "United Nations IX World Congress on Safety and Health at Work". Archived from the original on 2012-09-19. Retrieved 2012-09-02.
  13. ↑ "Round-table Discussion: Surgery-I" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2015-02-22.
  14. ↑ "Case Study: Global Asbestos Awareness Week – A Practical Approach to Integrating Social Media". Archived from the original on 2013-12-07.
  15. ↑ "Unite for Sight Global Health & Innovation Conference". Archived from the original on 2020-01-20. Retrieved 2020-01-07.
  16. ↑ admin (2023-09-04). "Decades of Dedication: The Evolution of ADAO's Asbestos Awareness and Prevention Conferences and Programs (2005-2023)". ADAO - Asbestos Disease Awareness Organization. Retrieved 2025-11-19.
  17. ↑ admin (2024-09-25). "Presenting at American University Washington College of Law "Drafting Legislation in Tumultuous Times: Insights on 20 Years of Asbestos Advocacy"". ADAO - Asbestos Disease Awareness Organization. Retrieved 2025-11-19.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.