Japan n-crisis: Rush for pills to prevent cancer
March 17th, 2011 - 2:46 pm ICT by IANSLondon, March 17 (IANS) The nuclear crisis in Japan has led to a worldwide rush for pills to prevent cancer caused by radiation, a media report said Thursday.
Daily Express reported that manufacturers of potassium iodine in the US and Sweden have said they don’t have any more supplies. Over 50 chemists in Britain have contacted the National Pharmacy Association (NPA) for advice on what to tell customers.
The health risk is due to radioactive iodine that can lead to thyroid cancer, the media report said. It added that the tablet floods the thyroid with stable iodine so as to prevent it from absorbing the radioactive version.
“People want to send the tablets to their friends and relatives in Japan. Some have just come back from Japan so want to take the tablets to protect themselves from any possible radiation they were exposed to,” the NPA said.
Nuclear experts have said the radiation risk from Japan causing health issues in Britain was low.
Japan is facing a nuclear crisis after it was devastated by a giant tsunami triggered by a massive earthquake Friday. There have been explosions at three reactors at Japan’s Fukushima plant while a fire engulfed a fourth reactor. Helicopters were used Thursday to dump water over the reactors to cool them.
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Tags: chemists, daily express, explosions, fukushima, giant tsunami, health issues, health risk, london march, massive earthquake, national pharmacy, npa, nuclear crisis, nuclear experts, pharmacy association, potassium iodine, radiation risk, radioactive iodine, reactors, thyroid cancer, worldwide rush