Salt vanishes from shops after radiation rumors in China

[jpak]

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/china/Salt-vanishes-from-shops-after-radiation-rumors-in-China/articleshow/7728826.cms

BEIJING: Panic spread through China's main cities as word spread that salt can guard against radiation exposure, and people geared themselves to face the remote possibility of fallout from Japan's nuclear plant leaks.

People bought large stocks of salt and it vanished from shops after rumors spread that radiation had leaked in the sea from Japan's Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant, and salt taken from the sea would not be safe in near future.

The panic was also boosted by text messages over mobile phones that iodized salt can help protect people from radiation poisoning. Large scale hoarding by merchants who saw it as a profit making opportunity complicated the situation further.

The country's National Development and Reform Commission ordered price control authorities at provincial and municipal levels to take "immediate action to monitor the market prices and resolutely crack down on illegal acts including spreading rumors to deceive the public."

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[FBaggins]

1. Just plain nuts.

Irrational fear makes one prone to being a victim of those who would take advantage of you.

[bananas]

2. You'd need 2,000 teaspoons of salt to get the recommended dose

From a previous discussion, note the math error, it should be 2,000 tsp, not 500: http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=104&topic_id=4942295&mesg_id=4949283

[Duer 157099]

3. I don't think they're using it for the iodine

But rather the fear that future supplies of salt will be contaminated. That might be realistic.