ACSH former staff

Nicolas Martin

Administrative Director, American Council on Science and Health, 1988-89.

Martin says that during his tenure with ACSH he saw and was informed of instances when funders were intimately involved in ACSH projects. Before Martin's arrival at the organization, ACSH published a book on sugar and health. He says that he was told by ACHS's then vice-president, Dr. Edward Remmers, that the booklet was printed in-house by The Hershey Company. Martin says that during his tenure ACSH was producing a booklet on alcohol and health that the Stroh Brewery Company was invited to and did participate in editing. Neither booklet included an acknowledgment of the direct funder participation.

Martin claims that in 1999 The Professional Lawn Care Association of America (PLCAA) asked ACSH to publish a booklet defending chemicals used for lawn care. He says that President Elizabeth Whelan directed that ACSH would only produce such a defense if the PLCAA made a donation to fund it. This is the sort of quid pro quo that Dr. Whelan has always claimed that ACSH has never permitted. [1] Martin says that he notified ACSH board members of these apparent violations of ACSH policy, but that no public correction resulted.

From 1991 to the present, Martin has been executive director of the Consumer Health Education Council.