Bad Chemistry

The American Chemistry Council (ACC) may not be a household name, but its influence on chemical policies has affected millions of people. Many chemicals in your household are there because ACC lobbying and advertising has prevented or delayed federal regulation of them.

Of course not all chemicals found in consumer products are dangerous, and "chemophobia" needs to be tempered with science. But there is plenty of evidence that many common chemicals do pose significant health risks to consumers and workers, and we need more effective regulation to address those risks.

The ACC has too often worked to obstruct such regulation, following a pattern modeled by the tobacco industry: deny the science, bring in its own experts to counter the evidence, launch misleading advertising campaigns, and pressure decision makers to abandon restrictions on the chemical's use.