As Sales of Potassium Iodide Skyrocket, So May Cases of Drug Injury

The Injury Board ^ | March 17, 2011 | Paul Napoli

[2ndDivisionVet]

Don't they teach geography anymore? Do they realize how far it is from Japan to here?

[americanophile]

...meanwhile everyone in Tokyo is going about their business largely as usual.

[LukeL]

People think that radiation can travel huge distances and still be deadly. Never mind the contour of the earth would make this impossible, unless it was blown into the jetstream

Also all the alpha and most if not all the beta radiation cannot reach us. At least these are low dose pills, if not we would have 100s of cases of hyperkalemia

[mamelukesabre]

Hmm, I believe it is potassium iodate, not potassium iodide. And yes it does protect the thyroid from radiation. This article is total goddam crap.

[scott7278]

They would really freak out if they knew about all the nuclear bombs detonated in tests here...

[mamelukesabre]

It’s the particles that hurt you. They emit radiation. And they can travel very far. The issue is whether there will be enough particles emmitted to get to a distant location in any level of concentration to pose a danger.

[scott7278]

How is that so? The article never says it doesn’t work to protect the thyroid.

[windsorknot]

Don't they teach geography anymore? Do they realize how far it is from Japan to here?

And far too many of them vote.

[jonrick46]

How could the American public be so hopelessly ignorant? This sad state of ignorance is what gives life to the most toxic forms of radioactive policy. The harm they do to their body from Potassium Iodide parallels the harm they do to the body politics and freedom in America.

[LukeL]

Yes, but those particles still have to travel to the US to be deadly. As of right now the only real danger could be gamma rays and there really isn’t much you can do about those except be under a couple feet of concrete and lead.

[mamelukesabre]

My bad. I misread a sentence. They still got the name of the substance wrong though.

[mamelukesabre]

hawaii is the US and its not that far from japan. So is guam and wake island.

[scott7278]

Potassium iodate is not FDA-approved. Potassium iodine is, made by the three drug makers listed.

[scott7278]

*iodide

[LukeL]

Yes, but as we know Guam is going to capsize anyways.

[CrazyIvan]

Junk science is having a holiday with this. I heard today that someone had been testing airline pasengers when they arrived and that they had slightly elevated radiation levels. Could the fact that these people had just spent some major time above most of the atmosphere maybe mean something?

[FlingWingFlyer]

Bingo!

[WhistlingPastTheGraveyard]

Next they’ll be setting up testing stations in the smoke detector aisle at Wal-Mart.

[scott7278]

Bricks will register radioactive levels - normal bricks!

[kagnew]

Not to worry, Janet Nincompoop is already having passengers and cargo from Japan screened for any possible radiation. Our tax dollars at work. I read this on the Drudge report. LORD GOD, please have mercy on us and send Jesus for his bride and get us out of here.