A March 4, 2005 article by Kirsten Boyd Goldberg on CancerLetter.com -- about the Legacy Foundation dubbing Time Inc. an anti-tobacco "hero" despite their magazines running many tobacco ads -- quotes an article on the topic by ACSH's Rivka Weiser:
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Assessing the Safety of the Chemical PFOA
Project Coordinator: Rivka Weiser
Editor: Gilbert L. Ross, M.D.
The American Council on Science and Health gratefully acknowledges the comments and contributions of the following individuals, who reviewed all or part of the longer position paper on which this booklet is based:
Larry Beeson, Dr.P.H., Loma Linda University
Hinrich L. Bohn, Ph.D., University of Arizona
Joseph F. Borzelleca, Ph.D., Virginia Commonwealth University
John Doull, M.D., Ph.D., University of Kansas
A prominently placed advertisement by the Lung Cancer Alliance in yesterday's New York Times conveys the important message that lung cancer, which kills more people than many other forms of cancer combined, is worthy of more attention and research than it currently receives. Unfortunately, however, the well-intentioned advertisement is also misleading and has disturbing implications.
The alternative fringe has embraced a trendy catchphrase: "Absence of evidence is not evidence of absence." It's cute, it sounds impressively philosophical, and, technically, it actually is true. But it can be deceptive, misinterpreted, and misused.
A May 16, 2005 article by Jaine Andrews on the site of South Dakota's Keloland-TV refers to ACSH in the course of putting Peter Jennings' lung cancer into prespective:
A September 30, 2005 item in the Wall Street Journal noted ACSH president Dr. Elizabeth Whelan's role in drawing attention to the Harvard School of Public Health's award to the unscientific scaremonger Erin Brockovich:
This article appeared on the site IntellectualConservative.com.
Today, in the weekend section of the Wall Street Journal, Elizabeth Bernstein dubbed a donation of $10 million to the Mount Sinai School of Medicine "the Gift of the Week." The funds, presented by Leon D. Black, a founding partner of Apollo Management, L.P., were provided with the express purpose of supporting six new scientists, equipment for a stem cell lab, and a seminar series, all of which will constitute the Black Family Stem Cell Institute.
Because of improvements in the ability of scientists to measure exceedingly low concentrations of chemicals, it is now possible todetect thousands of substances in human blood, urine, and other bio-logical samples.
From the Fort Wayne News-Sentinel (http://www.fortwayne.com/mld/newssentinel/8841087.htm):
June 4, 2004
A Super Size Distortion
Last Thursday, there was wide coverage of the fact that cancer rates have fallen according to a new report. There was extensive coverage in many news and TV broadcasts but not in America's newspaper of record.
There were actually two stories about cancer death and incidence rates, and perceptions about these important items, contained in the New York Times' coverage: one about health statistics and one about how little some in the press care about stories that can't be spun as scary.
Near the end of 2005, we (David W. Kuneman, a retired pharmaceutical chemist, and Michael J. McFadden, author of Dissecting Antismokers' Brains) and the SmokersClubInc. Newsletter issued a press release and published the outline and results of a study (1) that should have made media headlines around the world while bringing the juggernaut of smoking bans, if not to a crashing halt, at least to a stumble.
Bis(4-chlorophenyl)-1,1,2-trichloroethane (DDT) has been shown, over the past sixty years, to be one of the few affordable and effective tools against malarial vector mosquitoes, which account for over 300 million cases of disease and more than 1 million deaths every year. However, the Review by Walter Rogan and Aimin Chen (Aug. 27, p. 763), which aims to balance the risks and benefits of DDT, consists mainly of hypothetical concerns while the reality of human suffering gets short shrift.
A January 4, 2006 column by Audrey Silk, head of NYC CLASH (Citizens Lobbying Against Smoker Harassment), not someone with whom ACSH usually sees eye to eye on smoking issues, quotes ACSH president Dr. Elizabeth Whelan and late ACSH Advisor Sir Richard Doll:
California may once again target innocuous beverages -- caffeine-containing sodas and energy drinks -- for labeling with the dreaded Proposition 65 warning label. According to an Associated Press article, a California advisory board is calling for a study to determine if such beverages pose a risk to pregnant women.
Some activist "watchdogs" are again attempting to manipulate parents' natural concerns about their babies, without medical or scientific evidence. A few days ago, the uproar was over baby powder and lotions alleged to be delivering toxic phthalates; today, it's baby bottles and plastic water bottles leaching supposedly-toxic bisphenol-A (BPA). Both of these attacks are false.
ACSH applauds the animated sitcom King of the Hill, which last night depicted the town of Arlen, Texas, fighting back against a trans fat ban, which was quickly followed by numerous other food bans. Hank Hill and the other "freedom fighters" in the story (who decide to run a black market food van) explicitly chastised the town's fashionable but unscientific new rules by pointing out they'd do nothing to solve problems like childhood obesity. Eventually the bans were overturned -- and we only wish New York City were as wise as Arlen.
New York, NY -- May 1, 2006. Five low-calorie sugar substitutes currently available in the United States -- acesulfame-K, aspartame, neotame, saccharin, and sucralose -- are safe for consumer use. That is the conclusion -- described in a new publication, Sugar Substitutes and Your Health -- of a panel of scientists affiliated with the American Council on Science and Health (ACSH).
A July 24, 2006 Jimmy Moore column reprints comments from the "Livin' La Vida Low-Carb" blog critical of ACSH's Julianne Chickering:
"Just eat in moderation and you'll lose all the weight you want."
ACSH was mentioned in a household tips column from December:
Q. I bought a wool baby sweater at an antiques store as a gift, and I'm not sure how to wash it. Is dry cleaning a bad idea for baby clothes?
A. Check to see if the sweater has a label with care instructions. If not, you will need to decide between dry cleaning and hand-washing. Both of these methods are generally fine for wool, even delicate items. However, if the item has stains, seek the help of a trusted professional to determine which would be most effective.
ACSH was saddened by the passing of ACSH Advisor Dr. Roger P. Maickel, whose December 28, 2006 obituary in the Journal and Courier noted some of his many accomplishments:
Yesterday's style section of the New York Times splashed an unappealing picture on its cover: two models backstage at the Prada fashion show in Milan, one on her Blackberry, both smoking cigarettes.
The recent addition of trans fat information to the Nutrition Facts labels on food products, combined with news media reports and activists warnings, have brought these fats to the forefront of public concern.
In a national survey conducted in November 2005, 81 percent of a representative sample of U.S. consumers reported being aware of trans fats, and 54 percent indicated that they were trying to decrease their trans fat consumption (IFIC Foundation, 2006).
A March 2, 2007 piece by Denise Mann describes the unfortunate rise to prominence of Rhonda Byrne, author of The Secret, a book pushing a vague misinterpretation of quantum physics as not only a key to career success but to improved health, as touted by Oprah Winfrey and others -- but not by ACSH's Dr. Gilbert Ross or ACSH Advisor Dr. Stephen Barrett:
Pagination
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