Roses Get a Reprieve
The American Council on Science and Health (ACSH) gave an official kiss goodbye to the notion that roses are toxic to consumers, as it listed the myth as No. #6 on its "Top Ten List of Unfounded Heath Scares of 2007."
ACHS reports that major news Web sites, such as USA Today and Fox News, picked up on an AP release last Valentine's Day, which stated that roses shipped from Colombia to the U.S. were doused with an array of chemicals which could lead to a variety of health problems.
"Media coverage of toxic flowers came out just in time to scare those eager to exchange flowers for Valentine's Day [2007]," ACSH states. "Although the real story was that pesticides on flowers could potentially be hazardous to workers, the media aimed for the hearts of consumers with headlines such as 'Valentine's Roses Get Dipped In Chemicals' and 'Not-So-Nice: Valentine's Day Highlights Problem of Toxic Chemical-Doused Flowers.'"
ACSH sets the record straight just in time for Valentine's Day 2008: "There is no evidence showing that exposure to pesticides at trace levels causes any adverse health effects. High doses of the chemicals can pose a threat ... However, there is no evidence of low-level exposure to pesticides causing cancer or other health problems."
The Toronto Star picked up on this report, and SAF has posted the article under "Press Center" on its Valentine's Day Resource Center.
Need additional talking points and additional information for Valentine's Day? Browse around the Valentine's Day Resource Center for ideas and tools to help your shop have the best Valentine's Day possible.
--Vanessa Machir
vmachir@safnow.org
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