American Council on Science and Health
The American Council on Science and Health (ACSH) is a nonprofit (501(c)(3)) advocacy organization, founded in 1978 by Dr. Elizabeth Whelan. It describes itself as a "consumer education consortium" focusing on food, nutrition, chemicals, pharmaceuticals, lifestyle, the environment and health. Its core membership is a board of 350 physicians, scientists, and policy advisors, who review the Council's reports and participate in ACSH seminars, press conferences, media communication, and other educational activities. In the 1970s, ACSH scientists, concerned with what they described as the lack of sound scientific basis, common sense, reason, and balance in public forums and public policy regarding such issues as health and the environment, began to produce their own policy statements. Over the years, their articles have included such topics as the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), obesity, chemophobia, phthalates, DDT, fracking, e-cigarettes, GMOs, atrazine, and bisphenol-A.