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HBO’s Chernobyl Doubles the Sales of Iodine Tablets in Norway

The popular TV show on HBO alerts people about safety measures against nuclear threats.

The sales of iodine tablets has doubled in Norway since the premiere of “Chernobyl” on HBO.

Chernobyl is a historical drama television miniseries produced by HBO in association with Sky UK. It depicts the true story of one of the worst man-made catastrophes in history. The miniseries focuses on the nuclear plant disaster that occurred in the Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic (Soviet Union) in April 1986, revealing how and why it happened, and telling the stories of those people who helped and died in tackling the disaster, and the Soviet cover up.

Talking to NRK, section leader for emergency preparedness in the Norwegian Directorate for Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety, Astrid Liland notes the critically acclaimed TV series contribute to awareness among Norwegians about nuclear safety.

The series reminds us that things can go seriously wrong. Although the chances of a similar disaster are small, people must be prepared, says Liland.

In the five weeks after the series premiered, the sale of Jodix iodine tablets has been twice more than the previous periods, figures show NRK has received from the Norwegian Pharmacy Association.

The tablets protect by blocking the uptake of radioactive iodine into the thyroid gland, as long as the tablets are taken within four hours of discharge from a nuclear reactor.

The authorities recommend adults, children and adolescents under the age of 40, as well as pregnant and breastfeeding mothers to have iodine tablets for emergency preparedness.

On April 26, 1986, the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant in Ukraine, Soviet Union suffered a massive explosion that released radioactive material across Belarus, Russia and Ukraine and as far as Scandinavia and western Europe. Chernobyl dramatizes the story of the 1986 accident, one of the worst man-made catastrophes in history, and the sacrifices made to save Europe from the unimaginable disaster. Chernobyl premiered May 6 on HBO.
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