Produced in cooperation with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Food and Drug Administration.
Recent reports of events in Japan are raising concerns in the U.S. that radioactive iodine may find its way across the Pacific Ocean. This concern has led to a run on potassium iodide (KI) pills and drops, which can help prevent thyroid cancer – one of the biggest risks from contamination with radioactive iodine.
However, public health experts agree that people in the U.S. should not buy or take potassium iodide unless specifically notified or instructed by public health officials.
Still, scam artists are doing their best to persuade you to think otherwise. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC), the nation's consumer protection agency, cautions that fraudsters follow the headlines, tailoring their offers to prey on current consumer fears and vulnerabilities.
If you're thinking about buying potassium iodide, the FTC, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), urge you to:
Centers for Disease Control
Food and Drug Administration
U.S. Department of Agriculture, Food Safety and Inspection Service (USDA, FSIS)
The FTC works to prevent fraudulent, deceptive and unfair business practices in the marketplace and to provide information to help consumers spot, stop and avoid them. To file a complaint or get free information on consumer issues, visit ftc.gov or call toll-free, 1-877-FTC-HELP (1-877-382-4357); TTY: 1-866-653-4261. Watch a video, How to File a Complaint, at ftc.gov/video to learn more. The FTC enters consumer complaints into the Consumer Sentinel Network, a secure online database and investigative tool used by hundreds of civil and criminal law enforcement agencies in the U.S. and abroad.