# 5405
The immediate preparedness reaction, apparently, for tens of thousands of Americans watching the nuclear drama unfold in Japan this week is to go out and buy a supply of Potassium Iodide.
U.S. Drug Stores Report Sudden Increase in Potassium Iodide Sales
Published March 15, 2011
One drug supplier says it has sold 250,000 anti-radiation pills to people in the U.S. concerned about possible exposure from Japanese nuclear reactors.
Potassium Iodide (KI) isn’t a miracle anti-radiation pill, but it can be useful in preventing one specific type of radiation poisoning caused by radioactive iodine being absorbed into the thyroid gland.
And I’ve no problem with people sticking a bottle into their emergency kit, particularly if they live near a nuclear reactor.
But that assumes they already have an adequate emergency kit and an emergency plan.
Running out and buying Potassium Iodide wouldn’t be the first thing on my preparedness list. In fact, it would be very near the bottom of my personal list of things to get.
And I live only about 60 miles from a nuclear power plant.
Of far more immediate concern should be a supply of emergency drinking water, food, first aid supplies, an emergency radio, and a comprehensive family or business disaster plan.
As the following story from the UK’s Guardian Newspaper shows us, food and water are a major concern even 250 kilometers from the worst of the quake damage and nuclear crises.
Japan's nuclear emergency prompts panic buying in Tokyo
guardian.co.uk, Tuesday 15 March 2011 08.52 GMT
FEMA, Ready.gov, and the Red Cross, along with other emergency agencies recommend having a minimum of 72-hours of emergency supplies in every home.
As the post-quake conditions in northern Japan illustrate - that may not always be sufficient.
Five days into the Japanese disaster, thousands of Japanese families are being told to shelter-in-place in their homes. Many are cold and hungry, living without electricity or running water.
Many are are running desperately short of food.
Which is why I personally advocate keeping a 2-week emergency supply, and believe that for people living in earthquake or hurricane country, 4 weeks isn’t unreasonable.
Since the next disaster may strike without warning, and may happen to you or your family, the time to prepare is now . . . before it happens.
Ready.gov will help get you started.
You can also visit:
FEMA http://www.fema.gov/index.shtm
AMERICAN RED CROSS http://www.redcross.org/
And once you have the minimum 72-hour kit and a PLAN, you can begin to work to expand your preparedness level.
To help you along, a few of my recent preparedness essays include:
Planning To Survive
In An Emergency, Who Has Your Back?
Inside My Bug Out Bag
Those Who Forget Their History . . .
The Gift Of Preparedness
Red Cross Unveils `Do More Than Cross Your Fingers’ Campaign
Once you have your basic emergency kit, a 2 week supply of food, a decent first aid kit, a disaster plan, and a bug-out bag . . . then, sure . . . go ahead and buy that bottle of Potassium Iodide.
After all, being a little more prepared couldn’t hurt.
