With the nuclear threat linked to the war in Ukraine, some French people are looking for iodine… But taking it preventively is not recommended. Explanations.
- Iodine should not be taken preventively.
- If there is a danger, the State will inform the population of the dosage and issue the doses.
In recent days, some pharmacists have seen new requests arrive in their pharmacies: iodine. These tablets are used to prevent radioactivity-related cancers in the event of, for example, a radioactive leak from a nuclear power plant or an explosion in a nuclear power plant. In France, they are manufactured by the pharmacy Central Armed Forces, which is based in Orléans. But not all pharmacies have one. Only those located less than 20 kilometers from the 19 French nuclear power plants have the right to issue them. And again, not just anyone: people who live near these potentially dangerous areas.
Saturate the thyroid with iodine
But why iodine? It is a molecule that is used by the thyroid, a small gland near the trachea, to synthesize hormones. The thyroid takes iodine wherever it finds it: in food, salt for example, and in the air we breathe. Thus, if in the air that we breathe there is radioactive iodine, then the thyroid uses it to manufacture its hormones and there is therefore a carcinogenic risk. When there is a radioactive risk, taking iodine tablets saturates the thyroid with iodine… It therefore does not need the iodine present in the air, which is harmful.
When to take iodine?
In case of radioactive iodine in the air, related to a nuclear problem, the tablet must be taken following a certain procedure. According to theNuclear Safety Authority (ASN): “The effectiveness is optimal if the catch is carried out in the 2 hours before the beginning of the releases of radioactive iodine; it is 50% if the catch is carried out 6 hours after the beginning of the releases. The tablets must therefore be taken immediately when the prefect gives the instruction and only at that time. On the other hand, it is totally inadvisable to take it preventively because there is a risk of disrupting the thyroid and suffering, very quickly, from thyroid dysfunction.
Do not buy iodine on the internet
Currently, there are very few pharmacies that have iodine… But this product is available on the internet. But getting it that way is not a good idea. First of all because, once again, there is no point in taking it as a preventive measure. Then, because it is difficult to know how the tablets are made on the net and they may be counterfeits, which could be more toxic than beneficial. Finally, if there is a real threat, there will certainly be a distribution to the population made by the State which has control over the stocks.
The state has stockpiles of iodine
Since 1997, the government has decided on the distribution of iodine tablets. There have been several campaigns for people who live near nuclear power plants, the last of which was in 2019-2020. In addition to this, the State has built up stocks in order to be able, if necessary, to protect the entire population located outside the perimeters defined around the nuclear installations.
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