The Iodine tablets of the early 2000s

One More Toy

Can anyone tell me what that was really about?

I understand the science behind it, to top up our iodine levels so in the event of a nuclear accident in Britain our bodies would not ingest radioactive iodine

But if they had an expiry date, what was the whole point of it?

Was it a political stunt?

Samaris

It was a rather silly move aimed purely to show that they were doing something about it and calm the population who were working into a tizzy about nuclear radiation. Sellafield, Chernobyl and the likes were popping up in the news more, there was talk about increasing the amount of power supplied by nuclear stations.

Really, everyone knew that if Sellafield (for instance) blew up in a Chernobyl-like disastor, some little purple pills weren't going to do any good and that's even leaving aside choosing which four family members to "save"

BattleCorp

Waste of money to try and appear to be doing something.

VinLieger

God that Marion Finucane interview with Joe Jacobs about these is the stuff of legends, she destroyed him and deservedly so

http://www.independent.ie/irish-news/stale-iodine-discovered-in-fallout-from-jacob-radio-fiasco-26075549.html

Shint0

What about the millenium trees? Did anybody ever try to locate their one?

o1s1n

Shint0 wrote: »

What about the millenium trees? Did anybody ever try to locate their one?

Yep, was 2001's Christmas tree :pac:

Radiosonde

It's up there with giving cheese to the unemployed at Christmas.

ohnonotgmail

Samaris wrote: »

It was a rather silly move aimed purely to show that they were doing something about it and calm the population who were working into a tizzy about nuclear radiation. Sellafield, Chernobyl and the likes were popping up in the news more, there was talk about increasing the amount of power supplied by nuclear stations.

Really, everyone knew that if Sellafield (for instance) blew up in a Chernobyl-like disastor, some little purple pills weren't going to do any good and that's even leaving aside choosing which four family members to "save"

you mean you weren't planning to keep all four for yourself?

cml387

To those too young to remember , this was all in the post 9/11 era of panic and hysteria.

The media of course helped to stoke up panic and this was the nub of the Marian Finucane interview....identify a risk and pretend it's happening now.
Someone with a bit more sense that Joe Jacob could have batted it away but I hold Finucane more responsible than Jacob.

I used to have some respect for her as a broadcaster before that but I have none since.

nelly17

Shint0 wrote: »

What about the millenium trees? Did anybody ever try to locate their one?

Yeah mines in a warehouse between the Melinium Clock and a voting machine, theres a big empty space in there presumably for Irish Water

Shint0

Radiosonde wrote: »

It's up there with giving cheese to the unemployed at Christmas.

Was there something about butter vouchers aswell or maybe that was years ago. I might be showing my age now but I do remember something about butter.

Tigger

Shint0 wrote: »

Was there something about butter vouchers aswell or maybe that was years ago. I might be showing my age now but I do remember something about butter.

you used to get butter vouchers on the dole
ended around 94
i still have the iodine tablets

DavyD_83

Radiosonde wrote: »

It's up there with giving cheese to the unemployed at Christmas.

There were also the millennium candles that were too big to fit into a conventional letterbox.
I think I heard at they time that they also didn't order enough for every household, or that may have been the iodine (don't think our house ever actually received the iodine tablets)

VinLieger

cml387 wrote: »

To those too young to remember , this was all in the post 9/11 era of panic and hysteria.

The media of course helped to stoke up panic and this was the nub of the Marian Finucane interview....identify a risk and pretend it's happening now.
Someone with a bit more sense that Joe Jacob could have batted it away but I hold Finucane more responsible than Jacob.

I used to have some respect for her as a broadcaster before that but I have none since.

Ahh but it was more than that cus after that interview it was discovered none of the health boards which he claimed had stocks of the things had any at all, or the ones they did have were out of datr

Harry Palmr

What about the millennium candles? Mine went out

frozenfrozen

adding iodine to salt in USA gave a slight IQ boost (allegedly)

kneemos

The Euro currency converter delivered to every household.
Was mildly useful in fairness.

BailMeOut

Shint0 wrote: »

What about the millenium trees? Did anybody ever try to locate their one?

You can locate your forest here.

http://www.millenniumforests.com/location.html

They were planted from seed so you long time to wait to see anything.

jimgoose

VinLieger wrote: »

God that Marion Finucane interview with Joe Jacobs about these is the stuff of legends, she destroyed him and deservedly so

http://www.independent.ie/irish-news/stale-iodine-discovered-in-fallout-from-jacob-radio-fiasco-26075549.html

Marian Finucane is a blithering óinseach. The Government were casting about themselves trying to be seen to do some bloody thing in the face of potential unspeakable catastrophe that no-one could do anything about, if it happened.

stezie

My opinion is that they are a placebo, and do absolutely nothing... except keep the masses calm so that they could finish the nuclear power plant just a few miles off our coast..

think about it, if the nuclear apocalypse did happen and the tablets didn't save you, then what? there wont be an official left in Dublin to complain to..

Unless some one can prove me wrong, and take them and hang out inside a nuclear reactor core and come out ok in a few months still alive?

Taco Chips

It was a panic reducing exercise more than anything. KI tablets are given in cases of emergency radiation exposure however, to protect your thyroid gland from absorbing radioactive iodine and potentially developing cancer.

VinLieger

jimgoose wrote: »

Marian Finucane is a blithering óinseach. The Government were casting about themselves trying to be seen to do some bloody thing in the face of potential unspeakable catastrophe that no-one could do anything about, if it happened.

Ohh i completely agree shes a moron and was paid way too much for far too long to do far to few hours of work a week.

But she also caught them out big style and made a laughing stock out of jacobs which he deserved

jimgoose

VinLieger wrote: »

Ohh i completely agree shes a moron and was paid way too much for far too long to do far to few hours of work a week.

But she also caught them out big style and made a laughing stock out of jacobs which he deserved

All the man said was that there were several early-warning systems in place, manned by several technical experts, and that once the finer points around what an emergency is and when exactly it starts are hammered out, once again by the finest technical experts on what is an emergency and what isn't by-golly-jingo, we would then shortly thereafter receive information through all means of communication providing expert technical information about all manner of things, including where the non-radioactive iodine tablets are situated at. That sounds perfectly reasonable, to be honest - I've heard much worse several times over the last twelve months! :pac:

VinLieger

jimgoose wrote: »

All the man said was that there were several early-warning systems in place, manned by several technical experts, and that once the finer points around what an emergency is and when exactly it starts are hammered out, once again by the finest technical experts on what is an emergency and what isn't by-golly-jingo, we would then shortly thereafter receive information through all means of communication providing expert technical information about all manner of things, including where the non-radioactive iodine tablets are situated at. That sounds perfectly reasonable, to be honest - I've heard much worse several times over the last twelve months! :pac:

Yeah but then when pushed he went into panic mode and started making up wild claims that weren't true, he should have shut her down saying "we arent discussing those things now", OR he shouldnt have gone on the show at all until they had concrete information to broadcast to a national audience.

jimgoose

VinLieger wrote: »

Yeah but then when pushed he went into panic mode and started making up wild claims that weren't true, he should have shut her down saying "we arent discussing those things now", OR he shouldnt have gone on the show at all until they had concrete information to broadcast to a national audience.

Just a fairly typical clodhopper Minister for Hoors and Roundabouts. :pac:

diomed

Harry Palmr wrote: »

What about the millennium candles? Mine went out

I found mine a few days ago. I wasn't looking for it. Unused, like all those brilliant freebies.
Why don't they hand out something useful, like a free pencil, or a flat cap.

MRnotlob606

It was a plan by the elites to make us more subservient. See Chemtrails.

Grab All Association

Tony, Look me in the eye and tell me I'm safe

Found it http://www.atu2.com/files/news/7/2113-m.jpg

foxy farmer

Still have the tablets in a drawer here. Still in the unopened envelope. Along with the other things mentioned- candle, euro conversion calculator,and certs for trees in forests in kilkenny and Galway.
I often wondered how much croneyism, brown envelopes, etc were involved in these gimmicks.

edbrez

BattleCorp wrote: »

Waste of money to try and appear to be doing something.

Same era we each got a tree and a certificate.

Ah, 1998 to pre-9/11 2001 ... a glorious era underappreciated in it's time.

Olishi4

One More Toy wrote: »

Can anyone tell me what that was really about?

I understand the science behind it, to top up our iodine levels so in the event of a nuclear accident in Britain our bodies would not ingest radioactive iodine

But if they had an expiry date, what was the whole point of it?

Was it a political stunt?

I suppose other than the science or possible effectiveness of it, if any, if people were feeling that there was a threat from Sellafield or wherever at the time, I guess somehow they thought it would be better if people reacted as calm as possible in an event and the iodine tablets would be of some comfort to people, a bit like "duck and cover" or the "keep calm and" posters.

It's exactly 30 years today since the Chernobyl disaster.

Shint0

Harry Palmr wrote: »

What about the millennium candles? Mine went out

You let it go out? That was supposed to be kept for down in the bunker after you took the iodine tablet

smash

Shint0 wrote: »

You let it go out? That was supposed to be kept for down in the bunker after you took the iodine tablet

I think my millennium milk is gone off...

Sir Osis of Liver.

Tigger wrote: »

you used to get butter vouchers on the dole
ended around 94

The butter vouchers were used to buy 20 fags on dole day.

That's what I did with them anyway.Didn't have much need for butter on my way to get flaggons on a Thursday afternoon.

Happy carefree days on the dole they were.

ToddyDoody

One More Toy wrote: »

Was it a political stunt?

Backdoor republicanism? (Like how Sinn Fein would see marriage equality in the north as a political score point against the unionists, which is far from what it was supposed to be about)

Summer wind

Iodine tablets were our governments answer to Armageddon.

whatismyname

Is it a coincidence that you're asking this on the 30th anniversary of the Chernobyl disaster?

Sh1tbag OToole

Looks like the Belgians are following in our footsteps

https://science.slashdot.org/story/16/04/28/2016213/all-belgians-to-be-given-iodine-pills-in-case-of-nuclear-accident