The Wooden Teeth Show

Phones in Schools

Tue, 26 May 2026 16:00:00 -0600

Can the real world compete with smartphones for our kids' attention? What is the goal and effect of policies that remove these devices from students' hands during the school day? These questions and more are covered in the conversation that Jake has with Casey Mock, Senior Policy Director for The Anxious Generation.

Disagree Better

Tue, 28 Apr 2026 17:15:51 -0600

Political violence is becoming more common, and Americans report personal stress and dissatisfaction with the quality of our political dialogue. Disagree Better is an initiative that helps Americans engage in healthier conflict. Jake speaks with Marianne Viray, Disagree Better's Executive Director, about why they're taking on this challenge, and what they've learned along the way.

Unhealthy Gamble

Tue, 24 Mar 2026 16:34:20 -0600

As legalized sports gambling has risen online, so has personal debt, bankruptcy, and even domestic violence. At least 8 million Americans now struggle with a gambling addiction. Jake speaks with Jonathan Cohen about policy responses to address this growing public health challenge. Cohen is the Sports Betting Policy Lead for the American Institute for Boys & Men and the author of Losing Big: America's Reckless Bet on Sports Gambling.

Regulating AI to Protect Kids

Tue, 24 Feb 2026 22:17:30 -0600

Youth are increasingly interacting with AI chatbots, and the risks to their wellbeing, including self harm, are becoming tragically apparent. Jake speaks with Amina Fazlullah, Head of Tech Policy Advocacy at Common Sense Media, about how we can responsibly regulate these platforms to protect kids.

Masculinity & Health

Tue, 27 Jan 2026 19:54:35 -0600

Jake speaks with Brian Heilman of Movember to discuss the unique challenges of men's health, including the role of masculinity. Movember is a global annual event in November where people grow moustaches to raise awareness and funds for men's health issues. They invest those resources in projects, including the Real Face of Men's Health Report , which includes both a diagnosis of challenges, as well as highlights of what is working to improve men's health.

Red Flag & Donna's Law

Thu, 18 Dec 2025 20:40:55 -0600

In a suicide-prevention double header, Jake is joined by Nacole Palmer, Executive Director of Maine Gun Safety Coalition, who just led a successful statewide ballot campaign to pass a "red flag" law. Then, Senator Cathy Kipp and Virginia Mack join the pod to discuss new legislation, sometimes called “Donna’s Law”, that passed this year in Colorado, which allows an individual to voluntarily and confidentially block themselves from a firearm purchase if they fear self-harm or suicide.

How Big Social Media Is Using the Courts to Thwart Efforts to Protect Kids

Tue, 25 Nov 2025 19:31:17 -0600

Across the country, tech companies are successfully suing to block laws aimed at protecting children online. Jake speaks with Holly Grosshans and Ariel Fox Johnson of Common Sense Media about how the industry is using the first amendment and federal law to skirt accountability, and they discuss how the places where the industry has lost in court may point a viable way forward to enforce regulation that mitigates the harms of social media on youth.

Mental Health Begins in the Womb

Tue, 28 Oct 2025 17:25:29 -0600

Our mental health is impacted way before middle school. Jake speaks with Dr. Ayelet Talmi about the relevant influences within the first phase of life, how they impact the trajectory of a child's wellbeing, and what we should consequently pursue within public policy to improve outcomes for kids. Dr. Talmi is the Robert J. Harmon Distinguished Professor of Psychiatry and a Licensed Clinical Psychologist in the Departments of Psychiatry and Pediatrics at the University of Colorado School of Medicine and Children’s Hospital Colorado, and she engages in integrated behavioral health and early childhood systems and workforce capacity building and implementation, direct service, scholarship, advocacy, and policy efforts in Colorado and nationally.

Finding Public Health Gold in Urban Greenspaces

Tue, 23 Sep 2025 16:40:34 -0600

Creating quality urban greenspaces isn't just a common sense way to adapt to climate change, it produces a range of documented benefits for both physical and mental health. Jake speaks with Katrina Forrest, Executive Director of the CityHealth, about their efforts to get more cities to make this win-win-win public health investment.

America Just Got Hungrier, Now What?

Tue, 26 Aug 2025 18:13:06 -0600

When President Trump signed the "One Big Beautiful Bill Act" into law, 2.4 millions became destined to lose their assistance in securing the food they need. Jake speaks with Dayana Leyva of Colorado Blueprint to End Hunger about the impact of this bill on the food security of Americans and what we can do about it.

Why is Childcare so Expensive?

Tue, 22 Jul 2025 17:58:49 -0600

Jake speaks with Nicole Riehl about the business challenges of childcare and how they impact price and availability for families. Nicole is President & CEO of EPIC, where she works with employers and business executives to advocate for early childhood investments, policies, and workforce solutions.

The Health Impact of Microplastic Ubiquity

Tue, 24 Jun 2025 19:34:38 -0600

Dr. Tracey Woodruff chats with Jake about how drinking, eating and even breathing microplastics are impacting reproductive health, increasing cancer risk and more. They also discuss what can be in our personal lives and in public policy to address these impacts. Dr. Woodruff directs the Program on Reproductive Health & the Environment at the University of California San Francisco.

Youth Mental Health, According to Youth

Wed, 22 Nov 2023 23:32:22 -0600

We've heard a lot from adult sources on our youth mental health crisis in recent years, but what do young people themselves have to say? Jake speaks with two teen leaders, Lily Poteet and Braeden Turner, about their activism on youth mental health. They have launched a podcast, called "The Prosperity Project," that explores issues including suicide, stress and perfectionism.

A Field Guide for Policy Engagement on Public Health

Thu, 28 Sep 2023 15:23:46 -0600

Jake speaks with Dr. Keshia Pollack Porter of the Bloomberg School of Public Health at Johns Hopkins University and Katrina Forrest, Co-Executive Director of City Health. Porter and Forrest have co-authored Policy Engagement, a book that guides public health practitioners on engaging with policymakers to create a healthier, more equitable world. Their conversation covers the book, along with examining the political moment in which the field of public health finds itself after the pandemic

Social Media's Impact on Youth Mental Health

Thu, 21 Sep 2023 15:34:53 -0600

Jake speaks with Danny Weiss, Chief Advocacy Officer at Common Sense Media. They cover how social media is impacting young people, how public policy can mitigate this impact, and how Common Sense Media is helping to educate kids and parents about how to safely navigate online platforms.

America, We Have a Drinking Problem

Mon, 06 Mar 2023 22:57:44 -0600

Excessive alcohol consumption and related deaths are on the rise. Why is this happening and what can we do about it? Jake speaks with Dr. Bill Burman about the latest data and possible policy solutions to address this public health challenge.

The Survey Says ...

Tue, 22 Nov 2022 18:00:43 -0600

This episode's truth: polling impacts our democracy and democracy, of course, impacts our health. Jake speaks with pollster Chris Keating of Keating Research about the state of public opinion polling, what happened in this year's election and what to look out for in the next one.