Theme is ‘Chemistry—Our Health, Our Future,’ Oct. 16-22

WASHINGTON––National Chemistry Week (NCW) is an annual community-based event sponsored by the American Chemical Society (ACS) to help promote awareness for the transforming power of chemistry in our everyday lives. Being held October 16-22, during this International Year of Chemistry, NCW unites chemists with students, teachers, business leaders and people everywhere, through hands-on science events, chemistry demos, public lectures and other events.

This year’s theme, “Chemistry—Our Health, Our Future!” explores the contributions of chemistry as it relates to nutrition, hygiene, and medicine.

Chemistry is everywhere and is important to our health. Chemists study how our bodies work and how to fight disease, and they create the medicines we take to stay healthy. Some recent findings from chemistry research include:

Chili pepper ingredient appears to fight fat
Capsaicin, the stuff that gives chilli peppers their kick, may cause weight loss and fight fat build-up.

• Successful lab tests on a potential vaccine for heroin addiction
• Scientists are reporting development and successful initial laboratory tests on the key ingredient for a vaccine to help those addicted to heroin abstain from the illicit drug.
• Fat cells are not just dormant storage depots for calories
• Fat tissue in those spare tires and lower belly pooches is an active organ that sends chemical signals to other parts of the body, chemists say, perhaps increasing the risk of heart attacks, cancer, and other diseases.
• Poplar tree leaf bud extract could fight skin aging
• Antioxidants are popular anti-aging ingredients in skin creams, and now scientists are reporting a new source of these healthful substances — leaf buds of poplar trees.

This year’s CW highlights include: an activity book for youngsters at www.acs.org/ncw, a special chemistry issue of Kids Discover magazine that can be downloaded for free, a K-12 National Illustrated Poem Contest, ChemMatters, magazine for high school students that devotes its October issue to National Chemistry Week, and community events scheduled throughout the country.

The American Chemical Society is a non-profit organization chartered by the U.S. Congress. With more than 161,000 members, ACS is the world’s largest scientific society and a global leader in providing access to chemistry-related research through its multiple databases, peer-reviewed journals and scientific conferences. Its main offices are in Washington, D.C., and Columbus, Ohio.