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Talk of the Bay

Grapefruit defenders' campaign gets praise

By WILLIAM R. LEVESQUE
Published May 22, 2006

Chalk one up for the Truth Squad, protectors of the adorable grapefruit.

Members of the squad, working for the Florida Department of Citrus, counteract negative publicity about grapefruit and its juice. Mostly, they set the record straight on grapefruit's interaction with some drugs, a source of great misinformation in the media and public, the squad says.

The work is getting noticed. The program has won the Superior Achievement in Branding and Reputation Award, one of the most-coveted national public relations industry honors. The department's program, "Setting the Global Record Straight about Potential Grapefruit-Drug Interactions," won in the agriculture category.

The department says its program has helped eliminate an estimated 161-million prescription drug labels unnecessarily warning against grapefruit consumption because of its interaction with drugs.

While grapefruit interacts with a small number of drugs, causing possibly dangerous side effects, some media or health care professionals don't completely understand the problem, the department says.

Leigh Killeen, the department's director of domestic marketing, heralded the Truth Squad to citrus commissioners last week.

"Our Truth Squad still stands for truth, justice and the American way," she said. "We don't back off at all."

For more information about grapefruit and possible drug interactions, visit a department Web site at www.druginteraction center.org.

[Last modified May 22, 2006, 04:57:56]