By living near the CEA center of Cadarache, the inhabitants of Vinon-sur-Verdon, Ginasservis and Rians have become accustomed to the “risque” nuclear power and the precautions to be taken in the event of an incident, the probability of which is judged “tiny” by the Var prefecture. Taking stable iodine is one of the first protections in the event of an incident, which is why a distribution campaign is currently being organized in the pharmacies of Vinon and Rians.
No distribution since 2017
On the Vinon side, it was the deputy mayor Maïté Noé, a former volunteer firefighter, very involved in the subject since vice-president of the CLI Cadarache (Local Information Commission), who took matters in hand and who carries out the distribution itself on the pharmacy premises. “In 2012, it was estimated that only around 25% of the population had collected their box of tablets. In 2017, the municipality was widely mobilized. We communicated, organized a public meeting and, with the withdrawal voucher system implemented, we knew that 75% of the population had withdrawn their tablets”notes the elected official. In 2022, due to the remains of the Covid-19 crisis, the distribution campaign was canceled.
This year, the process has been simplified. No collection voucher or proof to present, but Ms. Noé insisted on carrying out the distribution herself, during dedicated time slots*, in order also to collect the old boxes which have now expired. “People know me, trust me, I take the time to explain the process to them.”
Why stable iodine?
This Thursday, in the space of half an hour, around ten people came to collect a box, for themselves or for people who cannot travel. “In the event of a nuclear alert, and only on orders from the authorities, you will have to take two tablets and wait for instructions”reminds each visitor of Ms. Noé, also distributing a small booklet published by the CEA and the nuclear safety authority. “If necessary, stable iodine will saturate the thyroid so that radioactive iodine does not attach to it and cause thyroid cancer.”
Until when can you collect your tablets?
Officially, the iodine tablet distribution campaign started on December 10 for the approximately 10,700 inhabitants living in Vinon, Ginasservis and Rians. The boxes are therefore distributed to the population via pharmacies, with different organizations. The schools of the three municipalities concerned have been delivered, and the establishments open to the public (ERP) will receive a collection voucher from the prefecture, depending on the number of employees and the public welcomed, to collect their boxes from the end of the month or the beginning of February. But this campaign doesn’t really have a scheduled end.
“We must have boxes permanently for new arrivals, for places open to the public and businesses”confirms Emma Ganci, from the Gingko pharmacy in Rians, for whom distribution is less obvious. “The town hall communicated in the municipal bulletin, but in the pharmacy, we do not “promote” the campaign, which is a bit heavy to manage, between the storage of the boxes and the time to take to explain the approach to the people, continues the pharmacist. We must have one or two people a day who ask us for the tablets. We ask for the Vitale card to monitor and be able to count and trace people if the CEA Cadarache asks us to do so. » The expiry date displayed on the boxes of tablets is set at 2032.
-* In Vinon: Saturday January 11 from 9:30 a.m. to 12 p.m.; Saturday 18, from 9:30 a.m. to 12 p.m.; Thursday 23, from 2:30 p.m. to 6 p.m.; Friday 31, from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. For the month of February, the dates will be communicated later in the pharmacy.
In Rians, Gingko pharmacy, every day, during opening hours.
Not at all worried but still cautious
At the Vinon-sur-Verdon pharmacy, the communication around the distribution of iodine tablets is visibly producing results. And the Vinonnais seem sensitive to the approach. For Andrée, who brought back the box recovered in 2017, “We do like everyone else, we come and take our box even if we’re not going to take the pills for pleasure! And we hope not to have to use them.” After her, Joerg, a German who has acquired a second home, takes it lightly: “I came because I read the information in Vinon’s newspaper. But frankly, we don’t care about that, what’s important is the aerodrome!”he says with a big smile. Brigitte is less casual: “It’s been a while since this distribution. We’ve never had to use it, but I still prefer to have the box at home. I’m afraid that something will happen something just when we don’t have anything to protect ourselves…”
The international context more worrying than the CEA
Finally, Nicole does not manifest “No particular worries, I have lived near the CEA for 50 years. Over time, we have known the instructions in the event of an alert, but we play the game, we prefer to have them just in case. It’s also a way to take care of yourself.”
In Rians, despite the geographical proximity to the CEA, the subject seems less significant. Daniel, who came out of the Gingko pharmacy without having thought of asking for the tablets, confesses: “It’s not a subject, otherwise I wouldn’t have bought my house here. I probably still have the old box at home somewhere… but so I’m going to go into the pharmacy again to collect the tablets”he laughs. However, for pharmacist Emma Ganci, the nuclear threat and the effects of iodine remain on people’s minds: “The international context plays a greater role than the proximity of the CEA. When Russia expressed threats of nuclear attack, people came to ask us for tablets, even though we could not distribute them. And we know that After your article is published, we will have a peak in requests!”
