Image via WikipediaI would say that when scared, this is a natural response, an effort towards self-preservation-----
Published On Sat Mar 19 2011
Liem Vu
Staff Reporter
While Ottawa ramped up its efforts to evacuate Canadians from northern Japan on Saturday, fears of radioactive fallout from the Fukushima nuclear plant sparked concerns at home.
Requests for potassium iodide pills — many of which have come from travellers about to fly to areas near the Pacific — have risen in the past week, according to some pharmacists.
“I’d say it’s geared up. It has really escalated. We’ve had people driving in from Mississauga and Toronto,” said Elaine Dias, owner of Courtice Pharmasave, a pharmacy located within the 10-kilometre radius of the Darlington nuclear plant.
The demand has come from concerned family members and soon-to-be tourists travelling to Hawaii, Dias added.
These concerns have prompted Health Canada to alert customers that they should not attempt to self-medicate even though potassium iodide is available without a prescription.
“Inappropriate sales and stockpiling are also creating shortages that could adversely affect those consumers who have a real medical need for potassium iodide,” said Health Canada spokesman Gary Holub.
The tablets, otherwise known as KI, are a form of salt that protects the thyroid gland from radioactive iodine, which can cause thyroid cancer. The gland is soaked in nonradioactive iodine and any traces of radioactive iodine are excreted through urine.
Dias’s pharmacy is only authorized to supply the pills to local residents in the area south of Taunton Rd. between Oshawa and Bowmanville, said Dias. For customers coming from outside the zone, Dias tries to allay customer fears by telling them that it “shouldn’t be a cause for concern” because of their location.
But for Oakville resident Dan Collins, his health concerns lie abroad as his brother John prepares to fly out to Hawaii next week.
“He’s a little concerned because he doesn’t have access to (the pills),” said the 69-year-old.
His brother tried to find the potassium iodide at three pharmacies in Brampton but found out none was available.
Collins was planning on going to California next month, but has since decided against it. He cites a number of reasons including the difficulty in tracking down the pills and recent reports about a radioactive plume drifting into the state.
“I’m just thinking it doesn’t matter where you go … you should have these pills,” said Collins, equating the tablets to the malaria medication taken before going on a trip to the Caribbean.
The Ontario Pharmacists’ Association has urged the public to exercise caution when ingesting potassium iodide. Possible side effects include severe allergic reactions, upset stomach, rashes and inflammation of salivary glands.
Health Canada said it doesn’t expect harmful radiation from the damaged Japanese nuclear plant to reach Hawaii or the West Coast.
Taken from thestar.com; source article is below:
Health Canada urges against stockpiling potassium iodide pills
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