In the event of a localized or widespread release of radiation, whether by accident or an act of terrorism, all persons subject to exposure are at increased risk for health problems.  This product is the only radiation blocking substance approved by the FDA for sale in the United States, and unlike other inferior products claiming efficacy, this product comprises safe, full-strength doses of potassium iodide (KI) which protects the body from the effects of nuclear radiation exposure. 

• Meets all FDA requirements for potassium iodide (KI) as a radiation protective 
• Packaged and labeled in accordance with US Government guidelines
• Each tablet provides the maximum thyroid blocking efficacy consistent with FDA requirements
• Satisfies all FDA standards for purity, quality, safety and efficacy
• Contains only pure potassium iodide (KI) as the active ingredient, and NO potassium iodate
• Manufactured in the United States under strict FDA guidelines
• The only product approved for purchase by local, state and federal governmental agencies
• Packaging maximizes shelf-life

Origin of the Product and Rationale for Purchase

The product was first developed in 1979 following the nuclear plant meltdown at Three Mile Island.  It was designed to provide protection from an accidental or terrorist-related release of radioactive iodine from a nuclear power plant or a nuclear weapon. It was the first radiation protection tablet available to the general public.  The tablets contain potassium iodide (KI) which provides virtually complete protection from radioactive iodine, the contaminant that causes thyroid cancer.

Subsequently, in 1986, a nuclear accident in Chernobyl caused the release of radioactive iodine which spread across Eastern Europe for hundreds of miles, resulting in significant increases in thyroid cancer rates in affected areas. Investgators from the World Health Organization, the United Nations, the US FDA, the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission, and others published several important findings related to the Chernobyl accident:

1. Thyroid cancer was the only prominent health problem to effect the general population.
2. Although the accident released many types of radioactive isotopes to the environment, all of the injuries to people located more than a few miles from the reactor were limited to the effects of radioactive iodine.
3. Except for thyroid cancer, there were no confirmed increases in the incidence rates of other cancers, including leukemia.
4. The vast majority of the cancers reported were diagnosed among people living more than 30 miles from the site of the accident.
5. Increased cancer rates were documented up to 300 miles from the accident site, well beyond emergency planning zones.

At the time of the Chernobyl accident, Soviet authorities immediately distributed large amounts of potassium iodide (KI) to people living within 30 miles of the plant in order to neutralize the radiation. This protection was effective as evidenced by the fact that only 3% of the increased cancers reported took place near the Chernobyl reactor. But farther away (beyond 30 miles), almost no potassium iodide (KI) was available, and significantly increased cancer rates were observed in those areas.  In contrast, the vast majority (nearly 97%) of the elevated cancer rates reported occurred more than 30 miles from the reactor. In fact, nearly 17% the early cancer rate increases occurred more than 200 miles away.  The only exception to these observations occurred in Poland where the government distributed previously stockpiled potassium iodide (KI) to nearly every child. As a result, in Poland, there was no recorded increase in cancer rates related to the Chernobyl accident.

The obvious conclusion to be drawn from the foregoing information is that potassium iodide (KI) is effective in preventing the only cancer known to be directly related to the release of nuclear radiation.  

Should a large scale release of radiation occur in the United States, whether by accident or through terrorism, people hundreds of miles downwind from the site may require protection. Current emergency plans for nuclear plant failures call for the evacuation of persons at risk. In reviewing a map of the country (below) depicting 200 mile zones surrounding existing nuclear plants, it is clear than millions of people could potentially need to be relocated as the result of any one plant failure; and, while evacuating, they would potentially be highly vulnerable to radiation exposure.  Currently there are 20 states who have nuclear facilities within their jurisdiction who maintain stockpiles of potassium iodide (KI) for distribution at no cost to persons living near any given nuclear plant, but generally only within a 10 mile radius.  Most of the areas at risk from radiation exposure are therefore not included in the US government's potassium iodide (KI) emergency response plan. There are approximately 100 commercial nuclear plants in the United States, each with one or more reactors. It is estimated that a “Chernobyl-type” accident could spread radioactive iodine for hundreds of miles from any given facility. Many people (especially in the Northeast) live within the danger radius of multiple plants. While nuclear reactors contain numerous radioactive products, most of the danger can be isolated to iodine. Iodine is unique because:

1. It is abundant in a reactor,
2. It remains in the environment for as long as 60 days,
3. It is biologically active, and once absorbed, it stays in the body where it concentrates in the thyroid, and
4. Under accident conditions, it can form an aerosol which can be blown downwind for hundreds of miles

Estimates suggest that 95% of all health effects in a nuclear accident would be thyroid related, and that the prompt use of potassium iodide (KI) could prevent almost all of the injuries that would otherwise occur in areas more than a few miles away from the facility.

These facts argue for individuals and families to maintain their own supply of potassium iodide (KI) to be self-sufficient in the event of an emergency of this type.

200 Mile Zones around US Power Reactors

How Does the Product Work? 

Radioactive iodine is a waste product of nuclear fission produced in reactors and bombs, and the United States Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) estimates that a major release could injure hundreds of thousands of people. What makes radioactive iodine so dangerous is that the body can not distinguish it from ordinary iodine. If it is inhaled, or swallowed in contaminated food or water, it will be absorbed into the thyroid gland and poison the individual. Over time the exposure can lead to thyroid damage, growth and birth defects, cancer and death. Children, whose thyroids are especially active, are particularly vulnerable.

This product protects against radioactive iodine by preventing its absorption by the thyroid gland. The product saturates the thyroid with stable iodine, essentially filling it to capacity. Once saturated, the gland suppresses its absorption mechanism long enough for the radioactive iodine in the surrounding environment to disappear naturally. This method of protection is extremely safe and effective, and up to 99% of all radiation-induced thyroid damage can be avoided.

How Safe is the Product?

Because potassium iodide (KI) is widely used in a variety of medical treatments, its effects are well known, and it is extremely safe in the dosage provided by this product.  Millions of potassium iodide (KI) tablets are consumed annually in the United States with negligible side effects, typically no more than a mild skin rash or stomach upset. Because of the inherent safety of potassium iodide (KI), the FDA allows this product, in the designated dosage, to be sold without a prescription for radiation protection.

How to Store and Use the Product

The product should be stored in a dry, room-temperature environment, with the blister packages unopened until usage is directed by public health authorities in a radiation emergency. Then, one tablet per day should be taken for as long as directed by public health officials. For maximum effectiveness, the product should be taken prior to exposure. While effective thyroid blocking will be achieved, all instructions from the public health authorities should be observed, including evacuation if deemed necessary. Pregnant and nursing women, as well as infants, may take the product. Parents should be aware that young and unborn children are particularly susceptible to radioactive iodine poisoning. People taking other medicines for their thyroid may take this product. The only people who should not take the product are people with a specific allergy to iodide.