The Preventioneers: Why We Wait Until It's Too Late

The Preventioneers: Why We Wait Until It's Too Late

July 7, 2026 · 27 min

About this episode

Dr. Barry Davis discusses historical figures who advocated for preventive measures in public health despite facing significant resistance.

A doctor proves handwashing saves lives and gets destroyed for it. A president dies of a preventable stroke. Scientists spend decades proving smoking kills while the industry fights back. In this episode of the Public Health Insight Podcast, Dr. Barry Davis, author of The Preventioneers, introduces us to people in history who saw catastrophe coming, built the evidence, and ran straight into resistance from industries, institutions, and a public that didn't want to hear it. If prevention saves...

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Guest: Dr. Barry Davis

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Books & works: The Preventioneers

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