Protect Yourself from Terrorism
By Elizabeth M. Whelan, Sc.D., M.P.H.
Publication Date : Monday, September 10, 2007
With the sixth anniversary of terrorist attacks approaching, it is easy to feel helpless and scared about what some believe to be an inevitable future attack. But there are things you can do to protect yourself:1. Keep your ears and eyes open. Report any suspicious behavior. Watch for unusually dressed people (long sleeves or overcoat on a warm day) or people wearing protective gear. Look out for unattended packages.2. If you find yourself inside a building in the vicinity of an explosion   Read Full >>

He Saved a Billion Lives (from the Washington Times)
By Elizabeth M. Whelan, Sc.D., M.P.H.
Publication Date : Friday, July 20, 2007
This piece first appeared on July 18, 2007 in the Washington Times:Could there be a man alive today who is virtually unknown to the vast majority of Americans yet is described by those who know his work and accomplishments as "the greatest human being who ever   Read Full >>

Does the Popemobile Have Seatbelts or Ashtrays? Vatican's "10 Commandments for Drivers" Don't Quite Click
By Elizabeth M. Whelan, Sc.D., M.P.H.
Publication Date : Wednesday, June 20, 2007
The Vatican this week issued a highly unusual document, which it says is dedicated to saving lives: "10 Commandments" to keep drivers and passengers safe on the road. The commandments also include warnings that a car can be an "occasion of sin," particularly when making dangerous passing maneuvers or using an automobile as a venue for illicit sex.The document stresses guidelines for keeping yourself and others safe in a car, noting that the World Health Organization   Read Full >>

The CDC, TB, and Andrew Speaker: The Plot Thickens
By Elizabeth M. Whelan, Sc.D., M.P.H.
Publication Date : Monday, June 4, 2007
There is more information coming in about attorney Andrew Speaker's case of tuberculosis, his decision to take international flights to and from his European wedding and honeymoon -- and exactly who knew what when. While there is still palpable contempt for Mr. Speaker's allegedly acting selfishly, putting the health of others at risk to get himself to a Denver hospital, there is a very strong possibility that the real culprit in this saga is not Mr. Speaker but the Centers for Disease   Read Full >>

Free Andrew! Hysteria and the TB Case (from the New York Post)
By Elizabeth M. Whelan, Sc.D., M.P.H.
Publication Date : Saturday, June 2, 2007
This piece first appeared in the June 2, 2007 New York Post: Information is still coming in about the case of Andrew Speaker, the Atlanta-area attorney now quarantined because he carries an antibiotics-resistant strain   Read Full >>

Do Trace Environmental Chemicals Cause Breast Cancer?
By Elizabeth M. Whelan, Sc.D., M.P.H.
Publication Date : Monday, May 14, 2007
We at ACSH are accustomed to media reports about trace exposure to "chemicals" causing a spectrum of diseases -- including cancer. Usually these claims come from self-appointed "consumer"/"environmental" groups like the Environmental Working Group -- and even some savvy people in the media and the general public know to take the assertions with a significant grain of salt.But today's wires and newspaper stories -- with headlines like the one in the L.A.   Read Full >>

Nutrition in Schools: Facts and Myths
By Elizabeth M. Whelan, Sc.D., M.P.H.
Publication Date : Wednesday, April 25, 2007
Today the Institute of Medicine of the National Academies of Science released its report summarizing its recommendations on "Nutrition Standards for Food in Schools."The title is a bit misleading as the guidelines refer not to the foods served in school lunch programs, but rather to the types of "competitive foods" available in schools, that is, foods sold through vending machines and other venues.Most of the report is based on sound science and common sense, with the   Read Full >>

Half-Baked Science on Acrylamide
By Elizabeth M. Whelan, Sc.D., M.P.H.
Publication Date : Wednesday, April 25, 2007
When you next visit a Kentucky Fried Chicken eatery in California, you will encounter something new: a warning label proclaiming that KFC French fries, baked potatoes, and chips "contain acylamide, a chemical known to the state of California to cause cancer."KFC and other fast food establishments had been sued by California's Attorney General's office (under the state's Prop 65 regulations) for failure to warn consumers about "carcinogens" -- so they decided to   Read Full >>

Throwing More Calories at the Obesity Crisis
By Elizabeth M. Whelan, Sc.D., M.P.H.
Publication Date : Friday, April 13, 2007
As they advise parents and school administrators how to fight our nation's childhood obesity epidemic, perhaps the self-appointed nutrition advocates at the Center for Science in the Public Interest ought to ponder a query posed by Lewis Carroll in Alice's Adventures in Wonderland. When Alice asks the Cheshire Cat "which way (should) I go from here?" the Cat responds, "that depends a great deal on where you want to get to."When it comes to downsizing our   Read Full >>

The Corzine Crash: Seat Belts Save Lives and Prevent Injuries
By Elizabeth M. Whelan, Sc.D., M.P.H.
Publication Date : Friday, April 13, 2007
New Jersey Governor Jon Corzine was severely injured last night when the SUV in which he was riding collided with another car, causing his vehicle to tear into a guardrail along the Garden State Parkway. The Governor was in the front passenger seat and was not wearing a seatbelt. As a result of the impact, Corzine was sent hurtling into the back seat of the car and suffered multiple serious injuries, including over a dozen broken bones and a leg injury that was so grave that his femur protruded   Read Full >>