British Columbia's Provincial Health Officer Dr. Perry Kendall
today issued a statement reassuring British Columbians that there is no
expected health risk from radiation at the Japanese nuclear power plant.
"Based on present information, we do not expect any health risk following
the nuclear reactor releases in Japan, nor is the consumption of
potassium iodide tablets a necessary precaution.
"Small amounts of low level radiation released from the nuclear reactors
in Japan will have been dispersed in the atmosphere there and are not a
health risk to British Columbians.
"Modelling of possible scenarios suggest that any release into the
atmosphere of nuclear particles would take five to six days to reach
British Columbia, by which time it would be so dispersed as to be not
considered a health risk.
"As a result of the terrible tragedy, emergency officials in British
Columbia remain in constant contact with Health Canada, the lead
department responsible for co-ordinating Canada's nuclear emergency
response. The BC Centre for Disease Control, provincial and federal
governments as well as Washington State and international authorities
such as the World Health Organization continue to monitor the events,
including radiation levels. To date, there have been no reports of
nuclear particles from the facility in Japan reaching the west coast of
North America.
"It is recommended that pharmacies do not dispense or stockpile potassium
iodide tablets. Some pharmacies are reporting a run on sales of iodide
tablets, which can protect the thyroid gland from the impact of being
exposed to high-levels of radioactive iodine 131.
"The consumption of iodide tablets is not a necessary precaution as there
is no current risk of radiological I131 exposure. Even if radiation from
Japan ever made it to British Columbia, our prediction based on current
information, is that it would not pose any significant health risk."
