The Windsor-Essex County Health Unit is preparing to hand out new potassium iodide pills to people living in Amherstburg.
The health unit says that potassium iodide, or KI, pills that were previously handed out to residents in the town are expiring at the end of March 2025.
The Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission has mandated that all residents within the primary zone of a nuclear installation have KI pills available in their homes.
In this case, it's for residents in the primary zone of the Enrico Fermi 2 Nuclear Generating Station in Michigan.
KI pills block the thyroid from absorbing radioactive iodine, which may be released during a nuclear incident. KI pills would help to prevent the development of thyroid cancer in such instances.
Amherstburg residents will be able to pick up a new package of KI pills at the Libro Credit Union Centre located at 3295 Meloche Road, Amherstburg, on the following dates and times:
-Wednesday, Jan. 22, from 10 a.m.-6 p.m.
-Saturday, Jan. 25, from 10 a.m.-2 p.m.
The primary zone includes the following postal codes:
N9V 1S8 N9V 2M5 N9V 2N1 N9V 1T1 N9V 1V1 N9V 4A6
N9V 1S9 N9V 2M6 N9V 2N2 N9V 1T2 N9V 1V2 N9V 4A7
N9V 1W1 N9V 2M7 N9V 2N3 N9V 1T3 N9V 1V3 N9V 4B2
N9V 1W2 N9V 2M8 N9V 2N4 N9V 1T4 N9V 1V4 N9V 4B8
N9V 1W3 N9V 2M9 N9V 2N5 N9V 1T5 N9V 1V5 N9V 4C4
N9V 2N6 N9V 1T6 N9V 1V6 N9V 0C4 N9V 2N7 N9V 1T7
N9V 1V7 N9V 0H7 N9V 2Y8 N9V 1T8 N9V 1V8 N9V 0H8
N9V 1T9 N9V 1V9 N9V 0J2
After receiving new KI pills, residents can safely dispose of expired KI pills in their household garbage or drop them off at their local pharmacy.
For more information on KI pills and KI pill distribution, please visit wechu.org/KI or call 519-258-2146 ext. 4445.
