Robert Wood Johnson Foundation

The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, which was founded by Robert Wood Johnson II with shares of Johnson & Johnson stock, is one of the largest philanthropic foundations in the United States. The foundation primarily focuses its work on promoting public health and has devoted millions of dollars to funding researchers to explore the dangers of sugar, soda, alcohol, etc. In addition to funding research, the foundation has also funded campaigns to increase taxes on soda, snack food, and alcohol, decrease alcohol outlet density, and eliminate alcohol advertising.

While the foundation has funded a number of important health care studies, it has also funded research that has been thoroughly dismissed by other scientists. RWJF was behind the “College Alcohol Study” performed by Harvard University’s Henry Wechsler that other researchers note suffered from small sample sizes and significant methodological flaws. Nevertheless, the study–which concluded college campuses had significant “binge drinking” problems–was widely accepted and reported by the media.