Tag: medicine

DEBATING THE NEED FOR RADIATION PILLS (Short Version)

  • Some states are arguing with the federal government's program to hand out radiation pills to those who live near power plants. The states say the pills don't protect from all exposures and give residents a false sense of security. Photo: Lester Graham

A group of scientists concerned about the environment wants the federal government to force states with nuclear power plants to stock-pile pills that help prevent exposure to radioactivity. Some states don’t think the pill is helpful. The Great Lakes Radio Consortium’s Lester Graham has more:

Transcript

A group of scientists concerned about the environment wants the federal government to
force states with nuclear power plants to stock-pile pills that help prevent exposure to
radioactivity. Some states don’t think the pill is helpful. The Great Lakes Radio
Consortium’s Lester Graham has more.


The Union of Concerned Scientists wants the potassium iodide pills distributed to
everyone who lives within ten miles of a nuclear power plant. David Lochbaum is with
the group. He says it’s protection in case there’s ever an accident or a terrorist attack on
the plant and radioactivity is released.


“Potassium iodide is taken to saturate your thyroid with a stable or benign form of iodine
so when radioactive iodine goes by and your body breathes it, it’s not retained by the
body. You just exhale it.”


But fewer than half of the states with nuclear power plants have signed up for the federal
program to make the potassium iodide pills available. One of the concerns is that people
will stay longer gathering belongings, thinking the pill protects them from radioactivity.
It actually only protects for one of several different harmful radionuclides. Some
emergency experts say the best bet is to simply evacuate people as quickly as possible.


For the Great Lakes Radio Consortium, I’m Lester Graham.

Stocking Up on Nuke Accident Pills

The federal government is offering to buy special anti-cancer pills for people who live near nuclear power plants. There are 24 nuclear power plants in the Great Lakes states… and state officials are now pondering whether to accept the offer. In Ohio, the debate reflects the pro and con arguments across the region. The Great Lakes Radio Consortium’s Bill Cohen has details:

Interview With Mark Plotkin

  • Plotkin is the president of the Amazon Conservation Team, a group working to preserve the cultures and species in the rainforests of Central and South America.

Last year Time magazine named researcher Mark Plotkin an
environmental "Hero for the Planet." Plotkin has spent nearly 20 years
in
the rain forests of Central and South America, and is working to save
not
only the forests, but also the tribes who live there. He’s just
finished a
new book entitled "Medicine Quest: In Search of Nature’s Healing
Secrets." In it he argues that many ancient tribes of the forests
understand
plants better than botanists. The Great Lakes Radio Consortium’s Lester
Graham recently talked with Plotkin and asked about his work:

Related Links

Controversy Over Re-Using Medical Devices

Health care providers are struggling with ways to reduce the cost
of medical care. But one money-saving tactic is raising concerns about
patient safety. The Great Lakes Radio Consortium’s Wendy Nelson
reports:

Grazin’ in the Backyard

More and more, people are accepting the idea that common plants can be
used as medicine. As it turns out, many of these same plants are very
nutritious. And some people are trying to combine those benefits. The
Great Lakes Radio Consortium’s Wendy Nelson reports:

Herbal Remedies Moving Mainstream

There are thousands of herbal products on the market today.
They generate over 4 billion dollars in sales a year. And many doctors
are taking more notice. Some physicians see a need for more credible
research on herbs and minerals. And they want other doctors to
communicate more with patients that are considering using these
products. Now one doctor has designed some guidelines on herbal
treatments. He hopes this will initiate more discussion and research
about these dietary supplements. The Great Lakes Radio Consortium’s
Todd Witter has more.

African-American Hypertension Study

High blood pressure is called ‘the silent killer’ because – if leftuntreated – it can lead to heart attack or stroke.The condition is also linked to kidney disease…and African-Americansare at a very high risk. Now, a study is underway to figure out thebest way to manage high blood pressure and kidney disease in thisparticularly sensitive group. The Great Lakes Radio Consortium’s JoanSiefert Rose reports:

Meltdown Pills

This summer, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission began encouraging statesto begin stockpiling certain pills in the event of a nuclear accident.Some eastern states have already started putting the medicine in theiremergency centers and now those drugs are coming to the Midwest. TheGreat Lakes Radio Consortium’s Bill Cohen has the story:

Weapons of Mass Destruction – Part 1

After the 1995 bombing of the Federal Building in Oklahoma City, Congress approved funding to help cities prepare to defend against acts of terrorism. The Nunn-Lugar-Domenici legislation (also known as The Weapons of Mass Destruction Act of 1996) brings together various federal agencies, such as the Departments of Defense and Health and Human Services, the FBI, and the Environmental Protection Agency. Over the last year, they’ve been visiting the most populated cities to train local emergency responders in dealing with nuclear, biological, and chemical terrorism. In part one of a two part series, the Great Lakes Radio Consortium’s Julie Grant Cooper reports: