Today is the eighth day of the Russo-Ukraine war. Russia’s attacks on Ukraine continue. The Russian nuclear deterrence force is on alert mode at the behest of President Vladimir Putin. It has not happened in decades that a country has openly threatened nuclear war. But Vladimir Putin, who invaded Ukraine, has done just that. Putin’s intentions are clear, the ongoing war in Ukraine can turn into a nuclear war. Amidst Putin’s threat, there is an atmosphere of fear and panic in Europe.
According to the news agency Reuters, Putin’s threat has rekindled a wave of anxiety in Europe, especially Central Europe. People are rushing to buy iodine tablets amid fears of a nuclear attack from Poland to Belarus and the independent countries formed after the dissolution of the former Soviet Union. They believe that this iodine will protect them from radiation in the event of a nuclear attack. This is the reason why the demand for iodine from tablets to syrup has increased so much that it has become deficient in many European countries.
According to Nikol Kostov, president of the pharmacy union, in the past six days, Bulgarian pharmacies have sold more iodine than ever before. Many pharmacies are already out of stock. Amidst increasing demand, we have placed orders for new shipments. But I fear the stock will run out very soon. People are hoarding it. Dr. Max Pharmacy representative Miroslava Stankova, who lives in the Czech Republic, said it seemed a bit strange that people were going crazy buying it. This is the reason why its demand is increasing.
Iodine is taken in tablet or syrup form. Among the dangers of radiation, it is considered an effective remedy to protect the human body from diseases like thyroid and cancer. In 2011, Japanese officials recommended that people living near the site of the damaged Fukushima nuclear power plant take iodine. As a result, its stock has run out in many countries. Government officials have warned that there is no need to worry about iodine in the current situation. Because it would not work in the event of a nuclear war. According to Dana Drbova, head of the Czech State Office for Nuclear Safety, people are asking about iodine tablets. But God forbid that nuclear weapons should be used because if this happens then even iodine will not be able to save anyone.
In fact, last week there was news that the Chernobyl nuclear plant was captured by the Russian army. After this an alert was issued for the rising radiation level. An accident in 1986 exposed large areas of Ukraine to radiation. The in-charge of that time says that the people there were given iodine to save them from disaster.