Million-dollar distribution campaign to protect against nuclear disaster: The federal government is once again distributing iodine tablets

Everyone – children and adults – gets their own package. This is a precautionary measure in case an accident occurs at one of the Swiss nuclear power plants. If radioactive iodine were to be released in such an emergency, the population would have to take the pills quickly, as instructed by the authorities (more information). These potassium iodide tablets – also called iodine tablets – are intended to protect against thyroid cancer.

There is a special hotline

The army pharmacy is responsible for distribution, and an office responsible for project management coordinates everything, including obtaining mailing addresses and operating a hotline.

Ultimately, the post office is responsible for delivery to households. However, because the boxes are too small for the parcel centers but too thick for the postal centers, they cannot be sorted by machine. Therefore, they must be delivered directly to the local post office, where the postmen will hand-apply address labels to them and then deliver them immediately.

Pandemic, war or climate – and now a nuclear accident

The postmen not only deliver emergency medicine to your home, they also bring an almost forgotten horror scenario back to the family table. When people hear the word catastrophe or crisis after the events of recent years, they often think of pandemics, war or climate. The iodine tablets suddenly make the risk of a nuclear accident relevant again.

And you inevitably wonder: what dangers is Switzerland actually preparing for? And who decides that?

The so-called threat catalog is revised every five years – as part of the national risk analysis ‘Disasters and Emergencies Switzerland’, explains Andrin Hauri from the Center for Security Studies at ETH Zurich. All possible risks are reassessed and their likelihood and potential extent of damage are assessed. And scenarios are being developed. The Federal Office for Civil Protection (BABS) is in charge. In addition to the government, experts from science and business would also be involved.

From earthquakes to terrorism

“With currently 44 relevant threats registered, Switzerland is very broadly positioned in the analysis,” says Hauri. “This is in contrast to other countries, such as Great Britain with 36. Or Germany, which focuses on one threat every year.” There are different approaches.

In fact, the Swiss catalog covers everything from earthquakes, cell phone or power outages, pandemics, terrorism, civil unrest, hail to meteor impacts. This is the basis for the national risk dialogue, in which negotiations are ultimately conducted at political level about what a sensible response to a hazard is. For example, protection against floods or the call to install an emergency facility at home.

Finding the right answer to a hazard has not become easier in recent years. “Everything is becoming more and more complex and our vulnerability is increasing,” says ETH expert Hauri. “For example, if the power goes out, the consequences are greater today than twenty or forty years ago.” Technical dependence has increased significantly and critical infrastructure is becoming increasingly important.

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The federal government would order revenue

In the event of an event with increased radioactivity, taking iodine tablets is one of the protective measures that can be ordered by the National Emergency Center NAZ, a department of the Babs. Other measures include staying indoors or staying safe in shelters or basements.

The authorities’ measures are not well received by everyone. For example, Greenpeace caused a stir with a campaign at the last iodine tablet distribution in 2014: the environmental organization sent an iodine tablet flyer to a million households that deceptively resembled the official information sheet. She then criticized the protective measures.

For example, downplaying the real risks. Or that the slogan ‘Well protected in case of emergency’ is misleading because the tablets only provide a certain level of protection against iodine – but not against many other substances released in a reactor accident. The tablets are just a drop in the ocean and would distract from the fact that there is no adequate response to the enormous risk.

Greenpeace calls for closure

Even today, Florian Kasser, nuclear expert at Greenpeace, says: “The danger is still the same. The Swiss reactors are among the oldest in the world. The only really effective protection against accidents involving nuclear power plants is to close them down.” It is impossible to properly prepare for this risk.

Especially in Switzerland, where the reactors are located in the middle of a densely populated area and therefore many people would be affected by an emergency.

All the way to federal court

To this day, politicians still struggle to finance the distribution of iodine tablets. After Fukushima, the federal government expanded the distribution area: from 20 to 50 kilometers around the power plants. At the same time, he wanted the operators to fully cover the costs.

According to the polluter pays principle: whoever is responsible for the hazard must also pay for the protective measures. However, the electricity companies have defended themselves against this all the way to the Federal Court – with success. The court ruled in 2018 that there was no legal basis for passing on costs.

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The federal government was still able to reach an agreement with the operators of the nuclear power plants for this year’s distribution. Storage and distribution cost a total of 24 million francs. Of this, 11 million will be shelled by nuclear power plant operators. Taxpayers pay the rest.

However, the Federal Council wants to change this for future taxes on iodine tablets and has therefore submitted a revision of the Radiation Protection Act for consultation. It ended in June 2023. Following is the results report.

And in the meantime, millions of fresh, small boxes of iodine tablets find their way to the mailboxes.