With tension escalating on the war front in Ukraine, demand for iodine tablets is skyrocketing. What exactly are they for?
This week, in the face of unexpected resistance, the war in Ukraine escalated and Vladimir Putin spoke for the first time regarding the nuclear threat while remaining vague enough to worry all of Europe. In addition, the attack on a nuclear power plant raised fears of the worst.
In the followingmath, iodine tablets were increasingly sought following in France and in other European countries. “There are requests, because the population is anxious”, indicated to TF1info, Philippe Besset, president of the Federation of pharmaceutical unions of France (FSPF).
However, in France, a very specific procedure has been put in place to obtain these iodine tablets, which are essential in the event of exposure to radioactive radiation. Breathed in or swallowed, radioactive iodine might then bind mainly to the thyroid gland and greatly increase the risk of thyroid cancer. In the event of exposure, taking stable iodine can saturate the thyroid and prevent radioactive iodine from settling there.
Currently, only people who live or work within 20 kilometers of a nuclear power plant can, by regulation, obtain these stable iodine tablets. Local companies also have stocks available.
Stable iodine not recommended as a preventive treatment
In the event of a nuclear accident, pharmacies supply these iodine tablets to the populations on the orders of the prefect. France indicates that it has enough stock to protect its entire population, although pharmacies that do not have a nuclear power plant nearby generally do not have stock of this product.
Note that taking iodine tablets preventively is absolutely useless. And all the more so since its side effects are not negligible on the thyroid and on the heart.
Finally, useful in the event of an accident, stable iodine will be of no use in the event of a nuclear attack near your home. “The danger comes from elsewhere: the huge explosion and the heat, which both have a lethal effect”, explained a spokesperson for the Nuclear Safety Authority to Science and Future which specifies that in case of survival to a nuclear attack, the first reflex is above all to find a shelter underground to avoid irradiation.
