The 2026 National Drug Control Strategy has made a notable shift toward primary prevention—stopping substance use before it ever starts—and reframes what a national approach to substances can look like. We speak with Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) Chief Medical Officer Dr. Roneet Lev and Institute for Behavior and Health (IBH) Vice President Dr. Caroline DuPont about what that shift actually means, why delaying substance use matters so much for the developing brain, how the science of social norming is changing prevention, and why consistent and clear messaging about non-use may be one of the most powerful tools we have.

Dr. Roneet Lev is the White House ONDCP chief medical officer and assistant director in the Office of Public Health. She has served as chief of Scripps Mercy Hospital’s emergency department, president of the California Chapter of the American College of Emergency Physicians, and executive director of Independent Emergency Physicians Consortium.

Dr. Caroline DuPont is vice president of IBH. She was formerly the founding president and principal investigator of DuPont Clinical Research Inc., and she maintains a private practice specializing in anxiety and addiction.

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Read the 2026 National Drug Control Strategy

Explore IBH’s One Choice Prevention

What does it take to rebuild trust in a public health institution, and can listening be a leadership strategy? Virginia State Health Commissioner Dr. B Cameron Webb explored these questions as he stepped into his role earlier this year, beginning his tenure with a statewide listening tour. Dr. Webb shares what Virginians told him was standing between them and being healthy, how he’s translating community voice into action inside a 3,200-person agency, and why trust is one of the most critical commodities in public health. He also digs into Virginia’s recently released 2025–2029 Plan for Well-Being, what it means to lead through federal funding uncertainty, and how Dr. Webb is rebuilding morale inside a department that has had its own healing to do.

Dr. B. Cameron Webb is the Virginia State Health Commissioner. He previously served as a White House fellow and was a senior advisor for the White House Office of COVID-19 Response. He has advised on public health policy, access to care, and prescription drug pricing. Dr. Webb was also an assistant professor of medicine and public health science at the University of Virginia School of Medicine and in the Frank Batten School of Leadership and Public Policy.

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Read up on Virginia’s Plan for Well-Being 2025–2026

Military families move every few years. They navigate deployments, career interruptions, childcare waitlists, and the daily weight of a life built around service. So, while service members navigate the changing tides of military life, their families do too. And when military families are strong, supported, and ready, so is the force—because behind every effective warfighter is a family that made it possible.

This month, in honor of Military Appreciation Month, we sat down with Stephen B. Simmons, deputy assistant secretary of war for Military Community and Family Policy (MCFP), to talk about what it really takes to support the families behind our nation’s warfighters. From spouse employment programs and childcare access to real-time data and proactive family outreach, Simmons breaks down how his office is working to ensure that readiness starts at home.

Stephen B. Simmons is the deputy assistant secretary of war for MCFP. He previously served 17 years in the U.S. Marine Corps, exiting as a Major in 2022. During his military service, Simmons served in roles as a site commander, operations officer, and retention officer.

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Explore Military OneSource

Use Plan My Move to help with transitions

Review spouse employment resources with MySECO and the Military Spouse Career Advancement Account Scholarship.

See other military family resources, like the Education Directory for Children with Special Needs, the Exceptional Family Member Program, and MilitaryINSTALLATIONS.