Tobacco Documents Online

The American Council on Science and Health The American Councit on Science and li ealth is an independent educational association cornmitted to providing consumers with scientifically balanced evaluations of issues involt;ing food. chemicals, thee environment and health. ACSH issupported by vol- untary contributions and is exempt from federal income taxes under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. Contributions in support of ACSH are tax-deductible as provided by law. This report describes ACSH activities and finances during thee year ended June 30, 1984.

American Council on Science and Health A Message From the Executive Director The American Council on Science and Health (ACSH) has had another exciting and rewarding year. During the last twelve months, some 30 addi- tional scientists have joined the advisory board; our radio series, HEALTHLINE, and the ongoing series of ACSH seminars have thrived; and ACSH's educational material has focused on topics as diverse as EDB, video display terminals, fluoridation and breast versus bottle feeding. We are particularly pleased with ACSH's dra- matic upsurge in media coverage. More and'more major newspapers and magazines are using ACSH scientists and published materials as resources for news stories. Our opportunities to present ACSH's views through the electronic and print media aree now limited only by our inability to place ACSH spokespeople in more than one place at the same time. Due to the public impact of our media and'corri- munications projects this year, we were able to review the coordinating efforts of our three offices and'came to the conclusion that our funded dol- lars would be better spent communicating with policy makers in Washington, DC,,electronically from our New York office, rather than housing a permanent physical presence in the capital. ACSH expanded into theinternational arena in fiscal year (FY),1984 with the first appointment of a Canadian, Dr. William D. Powrie of the Uni- versitv of British~ Columbia, to our Board of Scien- tific Advisors and with the founding late in the year of our first'international affiliate, the Japa- nese Branch of the American Council on Science and Health (JBACSH). We hope that JBACSH will be the first' link in a network of such organiza- tions in various countries, each with its own spe- cial interests and financial support. We at ACSH still! experience great frustration in observing the major gap which has separated pub- lic opinion from scientific consensus on such topics as the safety of food additives, pesticides and pharmaceuticals, and the role of lifestyle factors in causing disease. But we no.v also see manv rays of hope as well, as ACSH strives to correct the problem which led to that communicat~ions gap in the first place: the silence on the part of the scien- tific comrnunity: Dr. Elizabeth M. whelan NVith ACSH's many voices now being heard, thee doomsday edicts,, which over the past two decades have brought us so much bad news about the quality of our food, environment, and health, are slowly being reevaluated. It is our hope that through our continued efforts more and more. Americans will come to recognize and appreciate that our nation is healthier tharrever before. We only st'and to have our good health jeopardized'by pursuing false leads, givinb~ attention to hypotheti- 1

cal health risks, and letting pseudoscient!ists take the leadership role in resolving,critical issues relat- ing to nutrition, chemicals; the environment and our health. ACSH owes its continued success to many peo- ple, but we are particularly grateful to those of our funders, friends and members who under- stand the need for a permanent organization with ACSH's unique structure and~perspective and have continued to give us their support from year to year. Without them - and ACSH's distin- guished and active Scientific and Policy Advisors. - our efforts to bring sound science to health pol- icy and'to narrow that gap between scientific knowledge and popular perceptions of health subjects could not continue. wea A C.ac,/ Elizabeth M. Whelan Executive Director INTRODUCTION The American Council on Science and Health is a consumer education organization concerned with issues related to food, nutrition, chemicals, pharmaceuticals, the environment, and heaith. ACSH is an independent, nonprofit, tax-exempt'association. The nucleus of ACSH is a board of more than 100 physicians, scientists, and policy advisors - experts in a wide variety of fields who review the Council's reports and participate in ACSH semi- nars, press conferences, media communications,, and other educational activities. ACSH was founded in 1978 by a group of scien- tists who had become concerned that many important public policies related to health and the environment did not have a sound scientific basis. These scientists created the organization to add reason and balance to debates about public health issues and to bring these common-sense views to the public. _ With these goals in mind, ACSH produces a wide range of publications including peer- reviewed reports; a bimonthly newsletter covering current health issues; an informal quarterly news- letter covering ACSH activities that involve advi- sors, executives and staff;, consumer information fl~-ers; and proceedings from ACSH seminars and conferences. In addition, ACSH produces a nationally syndi- cated radio commentary series, hosts annual semi- nars and press conferences, and presents an annual award to an outstandingscienfiist for his or her achievements. ACSH also directs an in-housee internship program~ for students in health science fields. ACSH representat'~iivesparticipate in legis- lative and regulatory hearings, radio and televi- sion~programs; public debates, and other forums; and ACSH's research findings receive extensive coverage in the news media. ACSH maintains offices in New York City and Summit, New Jerse}: The Council's executive staff, as well as its research and educational pro- grams, are headquartered inNew York. Member- ship, accounting, and the publishing, salies and mailings of ACSH publications are handled in Summit~. 2

HIGHLIGHTS OF 1984 During FY 11984, ACSH continued to expand its scientific, policy, and consumer education activi- ties. Here:are some highlights:  Thirty-four scientists and health professionals accepted invitations from ACSH to join its Board of Scientific Advisors, bringing,the total number of advisors to more than 100.  Eight new scientific reports were published: "Breast or Bottle?" "Health and Safety Aspects of Video Dis- play Terminals" "America's Health: A Century of Prog- ress But aTime of Despair" "Antibiotics in Animal Feed: A Threat to. Human Health?" "Smoking or Health: It's Your Choice" "Of Mice and Menc The Benefits and Limitations of Animal Cancer Tests" "Pesticides in Your Home and Garden" "Ethylene Dibromide (EDB)"  The second annual ACSH media seminar wass held in October 11983. This year's topic was "Environmental Factors and Human Health:" Richard Peto was the keynote speaker.  ACSH presented its third annual award for outstandi~ng achievement in the health science area jointly to Sir Richard Doll and Richard Peto of the University of Oxford.  On the twentieth anniversary of the release of the original Surgeon General's Report on Smoking,and Health, ACSH sponsored a full- day conference on the health effects of smok- ing. Speakers included Dr. Luther Terry (the former Surgeon General), as well as physi- cians, public figures, and representatives of nine major health organizations.  ACSH's first international affiliate, the Japa- nese Branch of the American Council on Sci- ence and Health (JBACSH), opened in Tokyo in April, 1984. Reporters interview Dr. Luther Terry following his presenta- tion aN the ACSH conference commemorating the twentieth anniversary of the first U.S. Surgeon General's Report on c Smoking and Health. Dr. Terry was Surgeon General when the landmark report was released in 1964. 3

SCIENCE AND P®LICY ACSH Reports ACSH released eight new scientific reports in FY 1984, and published updated editions off two consumer information flyers. The ACSH report "Breast or Bottlie?", published in July 1983, was cited by the news media throughout' the fiscal year as a good source of bal- anced information on a much-misunderstood topic. Good Housekeeping magazine recom- mended the report to its readers, and as a result, ACSH filled more than 2,300 requests for copies. Sales of ACSH publications were substantially higher in FY 1984 than in FY 1983, and the report "Health and Safety Aspects of Video Display Ter- minals," published in September 1983, was thee biggest success of the expanded sales program. It is by far the most popular of the current ACSH reports, in terms of both volume sales and single- copy requests, and it went through several! print- ings during the fiscal year. Since public concern about this subject remains high, ACSH plans to update the report and publish a new edition dur- ing FY 1985. "America's Health: A Century of Progress but a Time of Despair" was released at a news confer- ence in New York in November and received enor- mous coverage from the news media. Dan Rather reported on its conclusions on the CBS radio net- work news. The NBC television network newss carried its findings, as did many New York City television and radio newscasts. A UPI wire story was responsible for articles in more than 250 newspapers. The Wall S'treet Journal also pub- lished a commentary on the subject by ACSH Executive Director Dr. Elizabeth M. Whelan. Eight reports were published this fiscal vear. (Clockwise - lo-wer left) Ethylene Dihromirfe lEDBI; Breast or Bottle; :1'merica s Ilealttr: A Century of Progress but a Time of Desltair: Antilziotic:s in Animal Feed: A Threat to Iltrman Ilealth.'; flecrlth cuid Snfety Aspects nf' 1'ideo Display Ter»rinalti: Of .llice and .11en: The Benefits and Limitations of Animal Cancer Tests; Pesticides in your Honre cn:d Garden: and Smoking or Ilealtlt: It:s Your Choice. During FY 1984, ACSH became actively involved in the debate over the use of subthera- peutic levels of antibiotics as animal growth pro- motants. The Council released its report on this topic, "Antibiotics in Animal Feed: A Threat to Human Health?", at a news conference in Wash- ington, DC, in December and submitted its find- ings on the subject to President Reagan, with a letter outlining the disadvantages of banning anti- biot!ics in animal feed. ACSH representatives dis- cussed this topic on radio and television~talk shows in rrnanyparts of the country and debated'propo- nents of a ban on feed additive antibiotics in several public forums. The ACSI-I report "Smoking or Health: It's Your Choice" was released in January 1984 at a special conference commemorating the twentieth anni- versary of the publicat~ion of the first U.S. Surgeon General's Report on Smoking and Health. (See page 10.) Requests for thisreport have been exten- sive, thanks to the massive news coverage of the conference. As FY 1984 closed, a special effort to distribute the report to junior and senior high schools for classroom use had begun. The report has been quoted or recommended in several publi- cations, most notably Consuiners~'ResearChmaga- zine; which published extensive excerpts from it as the cover storv of its April 11984 issue. ACSH plans to continue its antli,-smoking educational efforts by publishing a brochure on smoking cessation methods during FY 1985. "Oftificeand Men: The Benefits and Limita- tions of Animal! Cancer Tests,; "published in March 1!98-1, was a new type of publication for ACSH. Rather than covering a single health topic, thiss report discussed, in layman's terms, a key scien 4

Dr. Jessica Davis of Northshore University Hospital's Child' Development Center fields questions from the audience after her speech on environmental causes of birth defects at the ACSH seminar "Environmental Factors and Human Health,"' tific issue that underlies many current health controversies. "Pesticides in Your Home and Garden" was published in April 1984 and was picked up imme- diately by many newspapers, including,the New York Times. Readers and! the news media have part'icularlywelcomed the report's thorough discussion of safety precautions that should bee taken when using,pesticides and other household chemicals. Publication of the ACSH' report "Ethylene Dibromide (EDB)" was only one component of the Council's response to the nationaD panic over this pesticide. ACSH Executive Director Dr. Elfiz- abet~h Whelan and ACSH Scientific Advisor Dr. William Havender, author of the EDB report, presented the Council's views on this subject on numerous television and radio programs, includ- ing the MaeNeil/Lellrer Neteshour, the CBS MorningNeics, Panorama in Washington, and ABC's Nightline. ACSH representatives were also interviewed by representatives of the print media, and the Council's views on the ban of EDB weree included in stories in the Ncw York Times, the ~...,r~~ . held in New York City in October 1983. With her at the podium is Dr. Fredrick Stare. Chairman of the Board of Directors of ACSH, who chaired the seminar's afternoon session. 117411 Street Journal, USA Today, and many other newspapers. In addition to the scientific reports, ACSH also published two seasonall consumer information flyers in FY 1984. The supply of the 1984 edition of ACSH's flyer on "New Year's Resolutions for Good Health" was quickly exhausted. The resolu- tions were published in more than 80 newspapers, broadcast on the CBS radio network news, and carried on the 100 HEALTHLINE radio stations as a special program. It is too soon to assess the impact of the 1984 edition of ACSH's "Health and Safety Tips for Your Summer Vacation," but if the 1983 edition is any indication, this flyer should also be verysuccessful. In 1983, more than 100 newspapers based stories on the information presented in this bulletin, and volume sales were substantial. As FY 1984 closed, ACSH reports on smoking cessation techniques, low-calorie sweeteners, dioxin, low level radiation, andTCBs were near- in; completion, and'updated editions of the Council's earlier reports on alcohol use during pregnancy and on diet and~ heart disease were being prepared. 5

New Advisors Thirty-four scientists accepted invitations from~ the ACSH Board of Directors to join the.Board of Scientific Advisors in FY 1984. The new advisors come from 21 different~ states and Canada, and they bring the total of ACSH advisors to more than 1K Scientific Presentations by ACSH Representatives ACSH representatives spoke at many scientific and professional'meetings and~testified~ on a vari- ety of health issues during FY 1984. In July, ACSH Research Associate Cathy Becker Popescu spoke at the Fifth World Conference on Smoking and Health in Winnipeg, Canada. Her speech focused on the news media's handling of the cigarette issue. In September, ACSH Executive Director Dr. Elizabeth M. Whelan and Assistant Director Lynne P. Middelveen participated in the annual meeting of the Young Presidents Organization in San~Diego: Dr. Whelan made two presentations, one onmutrition hoaxes and the other on smoking and health. Mrs. Middelveen joined a panel of other psychologists and physicians to discuss teen- age alcohol abuse and suicide. In October, ACSH Research Associate Dr. Den- sie Hatfield spoke on "Nutrition Rip-Offs of the Elderly" at the Dairy Council's Senior Nutrition ACSH Executive Director Dr. Elizabeth Whelan (right) discusses the nutritional aspects of processed and unprocessed foods with hosts Regis Philbin and Cindy . ACSH released its report "America's Health: A Century of Progress But a Time of Despair" at a news conference in New York City in November 1983. Members of the expert panel included (from left to right) ACSH Executive Director Dr. Elizabeth Whelan, ACSH Director Dr. Stephen Sternberg, ACSH Scientific Advisors Dr. Sidney Shindell an& Dn Howard Maccabee, ACSH Associate Director Dr. Richard Greenberg, and ACSH Research Associate Cathy Becker Popescu. Garvey during an appearance on The .1/orning Show on N)ABC-TV, ' New York. 6

The ACSH report "Antibiotics in Animal Feeds: A Threat to Human Health?" was released at a press conference in Washington in December 1983. The expert panel at the conference included (from left to right) Dr. E.M. Foster of the Universittv of Wisconsin, Dr. Fergus Clydesdale of the Universitv of 1lassachusetts, Dr. Virgil Hays of the Universityy of Kentucky and Dr. Richard Greenberg, Associate Director of ACSH. Conference for senior center program directors in New York City. Dr. Hatfield also testified on~the controversy over alcohol use during pregnancy at New York City Council hearings when that~ coun- cil was considering an ordinance requiring warn- ing signs about fetal alcohol syndrome in bars and restaurants. ACSH Research Associate Sharon Campbell testified at U.S. Department of Transportation hearings on automobile occupant crash, protectioni in December. In February, ACSH Associate Director Dr. Richard A. Greenberg addressed the National MeatAssociation's annual meeting, held iniSan Diego. Dr. Hatfield represented ACSH at a National Association on Drug Abuse Problems Conference on Controversies in Alcoholism and Substance Abuse in March. She debat~ed Dr. Sheila Blurne, past president'~ of the American Medical Societ}~~~ on Alcoholism, on the topic "Is Social Drinking Dur- ing Pregnancy Harmless?". In April, the "Expert Lecturer" series on the ocean liner Queen Elizabeth 2 featured Dr. lUhelan, who made two presentations, one on nutrition and'the other oni priorities in personal health and preventive medicine, during a transat- lantic crossing. That same month, Dr. Whelan also traveled to Montreall to address the annual meeting of the Grocery Products 'Manufacturers of Canada. ACSH Board Chairman Dr. Fredrickl. Stare ,%vas the keynote speaker at the Japanese Annual Conference on Food Industrial Technology in Tokyo in April. Also in April, Dr. Greenberg spoke on ACSH's research on nutrition issues at a meet- ing of the West Virginia Dietetic Association. In Mav ; Dr. Whelan traveled to Chicago to address the annual meeting,of the National' Res- taurant Association, and Dr. Greenberg partici- pated in a panel on "Chemophobia" at the Chemi- cal Manufacturers Association's Communications Committee Planning Conference in Williams- burg, Virginia. Dr. William Hacender, an ACSH Advisor, rep- resented the Council at the Conference on Ethicss and Values in Food Safety Regulation~sponsored by Consumers Union in ti-fay. Dr. I-Iavender par- ticipated'in a panel discussion on the regulation of saccharin. In June, ACSH Research Associate Kathleen 111cister spoke on pesticides, additives and contaminants in food at a meeting of the New England Public Health Association in Newport, R.I. 7

SPECIAL EVENTS Japanese Branch Opens ACSH's first international affiliate, the Japa- nese Branch of the American Council on Science and Health (JBACSH), opened in Tokyo in April, 1984. The new branch's first major event was a full-day symposium on diet and heart disease which was well-attended by heajth professionals and the Tokyo news media. The founding of the new branch was the culmi- nation of a long series of interactions between The Japanese Branch of the American Council on Science and Health (JBACSH) held its first symposium at the Imperial Hotel, Tokyo,, on April 14, 1984. The symposium~ which ACSH!, leading Japanese scientists, and officials from both~ the American and Japanese govern- ments. Japanese translations of selected ACSH reports have been available for several years. The feunders~of the ne.v branch hope to eventuallN, form an independent national organization„simi- lar in purpose and activities to the American Council. focused on diet and heart disease, was organized by Dr. A. Is.•amoto. The JBACSII has scheduled Gsti•o more symposia too be held4n tlie cities of Sapporo and Fukuoka durint;,FT 19S5. 8

ACSH Annual Award ACSH presented its third annual award jointly to Sir Richard Doll and Richard Peto of the Uni- versity of Oxford, recognizing their landmark study of the environmental causes of cancer in the United States and their other major contributions in epidemiologv The ACSH Distinguished Scientist Award is given each year in recognition of out'st'~anding pro- fessionall achievement in science or medicine which has furthered understanding of the rela- tionship of chemicals, nutrition, or the environ- ment to human health. At the ACSII seminar "Ervironmentall Factors and Human Health," Dr. Donald McNamara of The Rockefeller Universitv (right), Richard' Peto of the University of Oxford (left), and Dr. Stephen Sternberg of Memorial Sloan- Kettering Cancer Center e.amine a controversial slide during the discussion period following Dr. McNamara's presentation on riskfactors for heart disease. Reporters question Richard Peto of the University of Oxford after his acceptance of the third annual ACSH Distinguished Scientist Award on behalf of himself and his colleague Sir Richard Doll. Environmental5eminar Each year ACSH organizes and hosts an educa- tional seminar oni a significant health topic for the news media, facultv and students at New York metropolitan area col'leges and universities, funders, members, and friends. This year's semi- nar focused on "Environmental Factors and Human Health." It attracted a capacity crowd at the Roosevelt IloteL in New York Citvon October 4. Richard Peto of the University of Oxford, in his keynote speech at the seminar, addressed the topic of "Environmental Factors in the Causation of Cancer." ACSH Scientific Advisor Dr. Merril'. Eisenbud spoke on "Environmental Health, in Historic Perspective."He was followed by Dr. Donald Jj. Me\'amara of the Rockefeller Univer- sitv who discussed risk factors for heart disease. Dr. John H. Laragh of Cornell University Medi- cal Collcge addressed the topic of "Environmental Factors in Hypertension," Dr. Sheldon J. Bleicher of Downstate Medical Center discussed the risk factors for cliabetes, and Dr. Jessica Davis of Northshore University Hospital's Child Develop- ment Center discussed the influence of environ- mental factors onl birt'h defects. 9