As the power industry attempts to restart the country's nuclear reactors, the Nuclear Regulation Authority's new proposal to require local governments to stock enough iodine tablets and make them available to people of all ages is potentially misleading.
The NRA suggested that having enough of the iodine, technically, potassium iodide (KI), pills on hand would be an important measure should another nuclear disaster occur.
The NRA's suggestion makes it appear that having iodine tablets on hand will somehow constitute thorough disaster preparation. Unfortunately, potassium iodide is not an "anti-radiation" pill, as people might hope. Instead, taking the KI pills is only a supplementary measure.