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Measurement: Every tenth young person has bought iodine tablets | BT Politik - www.bt.dk Since the war broke out in Ukraine, the Danes have hoarded iodine tablets. Now a completely new study shows that it is especially the young people who have been influenced and have lifted tablets off the shelves of pharmacies and health food stores. About one in ten people between the ages of 18 and 29 agree that they have bought iodine in the last two months, in a poll conducted by YouGov for B.T. In total, four percent of all Danes over the age of 18 have purchased iodine tablets, and it is especially men who buy the pills. At the pharmacies, one has clearly been able to feel the increased demand, and both pharmacies and Matas have said that iodine tablets have been completely sold out. Pharmacist in the Pharmacy Association Helle Jacobsgaard says that there has been some confusion among Danes about what iodine tablets can be used for. She emphasizes that there is no reason for Danes to buy the iodine they can get over the counter because they fear radioactive radiation. “You can’t take iodine in advance. It should only be taken at the time when the authorities say so in connection with a radioactive radiation. In addition, there is not enough iodine in the supplements you can get over the counter. A much larger dose is needed. It would not make a difference at all, "says Helle Jacobsgaard. Should the accident occur, it is the task of the Danish health authorities to ensure that iodine is distributed to the extent that it is relevant. "Then a contingency plan would come into force, so that those who needed iodine would be given what they needed," she says. Precisely the debate about the Danish iodine preparedness has wavered back and forth after the war in Ukraine broke out. In March, the Danish Health and Medicines Authority announced that it was not relevant to procure or use iodine tablets in Denmark in connection with emissions from nuclear power plants in Ukraine. Like the Agency made it clear that they had a small stock of iodine tablets in case of spillage in Denmark's immediate areas. It therefore caused a great stir when the Agency announced a month later that they had now decided to buy two million iodine tablets. When iodine is ingested, it is absorbed into the thyroid gland. This prevents any radioactive iodine, which may be associated with a nuclear incident, from being absorbed. This also reduces the risk of thyroid cancer. But the purchase had nothing to do with Ukraine, stressed the National Board of Health. B.T. could subsequently reveal, however, that it was precisely the war in Ukraine that was the reason why the agency suddenly got busy shopping. So busy that the purchase was made without being put out to tender, and several errors occurred in the process. The National Board of Health bought pills that are difficult to administer to infants, even though they are the main target group. The Agency also went against the Danish Medicines Agency's recommendations and placed orders for tablets that can only last two years rather than five. Most recently, it has drawn criticism that the agency has refused to disclose the price of public procurement. SPORT EXPERT New tracks SPORT abroad B.T. in Ukraine Media berlingske abroad Berlingske Media A / S Pilestræde 34 DK-1147 Copenhagen KTlf. +45 33 75 75 33 CVR.no .: 29 20 73 13