White House drops anti-radiation pill plan
Published: Jan. 29, 2008 at 10:43 AM
WASHINGTON, Jan. 29 (UPI) -- The Bush administration has dropped a program to distribute anti-radiation pills to citizens who live near nuclear reactors, officials said.
John Marburger, U.S. President George Bush's top science adviser, said Monday the over-the-counter potassium iodide pills "offer negligible additional protection" against radiation exposure and there were more effective ways to protect citizens, USA Today reported.
In 2002, Congress ordered stockpiling of the pills for nearly 22 million people in 33 states who could be exposed to fall-out in the event of a terror attack but the administration used a loophole to drop the plan, the newspaper said.
Marburger said it had been determined evacuation and distribution of safe food would be more effective than the pills and said distribution of them could distract people during a nuclear crisis, the newspaper said.
The pills, meant to be taken once a day, protect the thyroid against radioactive iodine by saturating it with potassium iodide, the newspaper said.
John Marburger, U.S. President George Bush's top science adviser, said Monday the over-the-counter potassium iodide pills "offer negligible additional protection" against radiation exposure and there were more effective ways to protect citizens, USA Today reported.
In 2002, Congress ordered stockpiling of the pills for nearly 22 million people in 33 states who could be exposed to fall-out in the event of a terror attack but the administration used a loophole to drop the plan, the newspaper said.
Marburger said it had been determined evacuation and distribution of safe food would be more effective than the pills and said distribution of them could distract people during a nuclear crisis, the newspaper said.
The pills, meant to be taken once a day, protect the thyroid against radioactive iodine by saturating it with potassium iodide, the newspaper said.
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This material may not be reproduced, redistributed, or manipulated in any form.
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