They are very effective towards protecting the thyroid gland, but only the
thyroid gland.

To say they are nonsense altogether is, well, nonsense.

Protecting my thyroid gland, and only my thyroid gland, doesn't seem like a
particularly successful or efficient means of shielding myself against
everything else high radiation can do to the entire body.
Just because the Soviets distributed nukepills to its citizenry doesn't mean
there is any good reason for having done so.
But the real point is that these things are being sold to play on fears of an
ignorant public, and there is very little science behind it to rationalize the
cost or usefulness of them.
It is, in fact, nonsense.
Linus

Subject: Govt. still recommends anti-radiation pills
From: (GrtPmpkin32)
Date: 7/11/03 10:30 AM Central Daylight Time


Protecting my thyroid gland, and only my thyroid gland, doesn't seem like a
particularly successful or efficient means of shielding myself against
everything else high radiation can do to the entire body.
Just because the Soviets distributed nukepills to its citizenry doesn't mean
there is any good reason for having done so.
But the real point is that these things are being sold to play on fears of an
ignorant public, and there is very little science behind it to rationalize
the
cost or usefulness of them.
It is, in fact, nonsense.
Linus

Woah! Somebody **** in yer Wheaties this morning?
Take a deep breath.

You've made a number of logical errors here, if not outright fabrication.

The original claim was that there is no benefit whatsoever to potassium iodide
in the event of a nuclear contamination type event. This is demonstrably
false, in reality it is well documented and has been repeatedly shown to be the
case over a number of years. In brief, the thyroid is among the very first
and most sensitive organs affected. For this reason, it would be administered
right away, ideally prior to the event if at all possible - hence the
adviseability for each US citizen or Soviet subject to have a supply at the
ready, at home, and accessible.

Another error is assuming that no other protective measures could, or would, be
exercised in conjunction with the iodine treatment, and therefore, ergo, the
iodine is useless. While this "logic" may win you the no **** award with oak
leaf cluster, it's not one I'd want on my mantle.

That the Soviets (who were serious about "winning" a nuclear exchange during
the Cold War, by the way) issued iodine to their subjects, and our own
government stockpiled huge amounts for issue to our citizenry, illustrates and
corroborates the published medical research.

That the "The End Is Nigh" types prey on the fears of the public to make a
profit is not in question, isn't the question, and wasn't nor isn't the point.


As in most things, the truth is always in the middle. Belittling or outright
derision of long-known civil defense measures seems imprudent at best. Think
before you hit that "send" key next time.

In article ,
says...


They are very effective towards protecting the thyroid gland, but only the
thyroid gland.

To say they are nonsense altogether is, well, nonsense.

Protecting my thyroid gland, and only my thyroid gland, doesn't seem like a
particularly successful or efficient means of shielding myself against
everything else high radiation can do to the entire body.

But we're not talking about high radiation. There is no defense
against that, except heavy shielding. However, in the event of
a nuclear attack or accident, only a relatively small number of
people will be exposed to such hard radiation. A much GREATER
number will be exposed to radioative isotopes that will be
scattered to Helen Back. And these will not be very dangerous
as long as the exposure is only external. It's if they are
internalized by being eaten, breathed, or drunk, and are
absorbed and made part of the body - where they can
irradiate the surrounding tissue and general all sorts of
cancers - that they're dangerous. The focus, therefore, is to
prevent absorption. Hence the potassium iodine pills; by
flooding your body with non-radioactive iodine, you prevent
your body and thyroid from absorbing any radioactive
iodine isotopes that come along later.

Don't do much for isotopes of other elements that might be
absorbed by other parts of your body, but at least it's a
BIT of protection...

FW