Russian President Vladimir Putin’s vague threats of using nuclear weapons is driving many central Europeans to purchase large amounts of iodine.
Several countries in central Europe have reported residents are taking additional safety measures in case Russia feels the need to invade or use its nuclear arsenal. That includes acquiring iodine, which can help combat radiation.
“In the past six days, Bulgarian pharmacies have sold as much [iodine] as they sell for a year,” Nikolay Kostov, chairman of the Pharmacies Union, told Reuters. “Some pharmacies are already out of stock. We have ordered new quantities, but I am afraid they will not last very long.” This was echoed in Poland, which saw the number of pharmacies selling iodine double. “Internal data on our website shows that interest in iodine increased around 50 times since last Thursday,” said the co-founder of gdziepolek.pl, a Polish website for tracking drug and pharmacy sales.
GERMANY SENDING THOUSANDS OF ANTI-AIRCRAFT MISSILES TO UKRAINE
While iodine does not directly protect the body from radiation, it is considered by medical experts to be a useful tool to combat the side effects indirectly.
If uranium atoms, like those in a reactor or a nuclear bomb, were to go off, the breakaway particles (known as iodine-131) resemble the iodine (known as iodine-127) that our body needs. If the body were to absorb enough iodine-131, it would have deleterious effects on an individual’s flesh and DNA. The pills would flood the body with a large amount of iodine-127, theoretically diminishing the body’s demand for iodine long enough to resist limited exposure to particles like iodine-131.
Japanese officials recommended the pills in 2011 to residents who lived in the area around the Fukushima nuclear power plant after it was damaged. Belgium gave residents iodine pills in 2016 amid concerns about radiation leaks.
However, radiation experts think this is creating a false sense of security. “You ask a lot about iodine tablets,” wrote Dana Drabova, leader of the Czech State Office for Nuclear Safety, on Twitter, “as radiation protection when (God forbid) nuclear weapons are used, they are basically useless.”
CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER
Russian President Vladimir Putin has made several comments in recent weeks that foreign policy experts have interpreted to reference Russia’s ability to use nuclear weapons. These comments have put European officials on edge, anticipating the risk of such an attack.
“The thought of nuclear is constantly spinning in the heads of Western politicians but not in the heads of Russians,” Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said in public comments on Thursday, according to Reuters. “I assure you that we will not allow any kind of provocation to unbalance us.” Lavrov also noted in a separate speech that if World War III were to occur, it would be nuclear and devastating.
There are also concerns about Russians acquiring Ukrainian nuclear power plants. Russian troops captured the Chernobyl power plant within the first 48 hours of Russia’s invasion, damaging the plant in the process.
