Margaret Evans replies: "Absolutely true. Acrylics have no smell compared to oils, and brushes are easily cleaned with water. Beware though, that you must clean them quickly and thoroughly, because once the paint dries, it is permanent, and can therefore cause havoc to good brushes."

Alwyn Crawshaw replies: "Yes it is true. The medium you use for painting with and washing out your brushes is water. There is no smell. You do not use turpentine. Acrylic colours are water based. Caution - don't let paint dry on your brushes, as once the paint is dry it is insoluble in water."

Is it true that with acrylics there is no smell and the brushes are easily cleaned in water thus avoiding a great deal of turpentine smell while painting and afterwards while cleaning the brushes?

No it is NOT true!
Compared to oils there is very little smell with acrylics - but there is some.
Personally I really don't mind the smell of oil paints. In fact I rather like it - it reminds me of my art student days! However the smell of acrylics (though very faint) makes me feel quite queasy. I have stopped using acrylics myself mainly because I can't stand that weird odour.
Recently I was at an art workshop with about 15 people using acrylics and I had to go out of the room because the smell of the acrylic paint was getting to me so much. However, it may be that I'm hyper-sensitive to it because no-one else seemed to mind.

Etac acrylics smell like candy

Borrowed a mate's tube of white - as mine left at home, he was proud of his cheap internet purchase. It reeked! My set of Atelier interactive colours have little or no smell. As this brand is famous for its reactivation with a spray bottle, the chemical can rescue brushes inadvertently left solid with paint.
Other acrylic brand mean the brushes are for the bin. [By the way the "chemical" does smell!...it's left me so "high" I've joined this forum]