Yahoo News People are stockpiling anti-radiation pills amid fears of nuclear war
Earlier this month, Donald Trump sent a chill across the world with a Tweet directed at North Korea bragging about the size of his ‘nuclear button’.
It was a chilling reminder that Trump has the ability to unleash nuclear armageddon within his reach, day and night.
North Korean Leader Kim Jong Un just stated that the “Nuclear Button is on his desk at all times.” Will someone from his depleted and food starved regime please inform him that I too have a Nuclear Button, but it is a much bigger & more powerful one than his, and my Button works!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 3, 2018
The stand-off sparked a huge spike in sales of potassium iodide pills in America, NPR reports – commonly advertised online as blocking radiation from nuclear fallout.
Troy Jones of NukePills.com said that he saw demand soar on January 2 in the wake of Trump’s satement.
Jones shipped 140,000 doses of the drug, compared to 8,400 on a normal day.
Jones said, ‘On Jan. 2, I basically got in a month’s supply of potassium iodide and I sold out in 48 hours.’
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Local chemists also reported high demand for the pills, which are available over the counter in America.
‘Doomsday preppers’ believe that the pills ‘protect against radiation’ – but they actually protect the thyroid gland against specific radioactive isotopes.
America’s Nuclear Regulatory Commission says, ‘If terrorists attack either at a nuclear power plant or with a “dirty” bomb, radioactive iodine would have to be released in order for potassium iodide (KI) to be needed. Potassium iodide protects the thyroid gland only against the internal uptake of radioiodines.
‘In the case of a dirty bomb, protective actions will be made according to the threat presented. If the bomb contained radioactive iodine, then the use of KI may be appropriate. However, radioactive iodine is not considered to be a viable component of a dirty bomb due to its relatively short half-life and the difficulties in obtaining significant quantities. ‘
