FTC Warns That Scammers Are Trading On Radiation Fears To Hawk Potassium Iodide Treatment In Aftermath Of Events In Japan; Be Cautious And Selective, Agency Advises
Fraudsters are following the headlines about radiation fears in Japan and designing sales pitches to scare U.S. consumers into buying potassium-iodide treatments, the FTC warned today.
Last week, the agency warned against charity scams that may emerge to mine illicit profits from the devastating earthquake and tsunami.
“Potassium iodide, or KI, can help prevent thyroid cancer, which is one of the biggest risks from contamination with radioactive iodine,” the FTC said. “However, public health experts agree that U.S. residents should not buy or take potassium iodide unless specifically notified or instructed by public health officials.”
And, the FTC added, “If you decide to buy potassium iodide, buy it only from a reputable source. Iosat, ThyroSafe, and ThyroShield are the only potassium iodide products that are FDA-approved and can be legally marketed and sold in the United States.”
Read the FTC’s warning on potassium-iodide treatment scams.
Read the FTC’s warning on charity scams trading on events in Japan.
Get more information on U.S. health policy from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
Why would anyone in the US be at any risk from any radiation from the Fukushima reactor?
There’s some good stories about the reactor here:
http://www.theregister.co.uk/science/physics/
They may balance out the doom & gloom stories punted out by the mass media.
For those interested in the Fukushima reactor there is a new summary:
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2011/03/22/fukushima_tuesday_2/
I read elsewhere that (some?) US citizens in Japan have been issued potassium iodide “in an abundance of caution”.
As Douglas Adams once wrote, Don’t Panic.