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Fukushima's Fallout of Fear

Posted by Soulskill on from the only-thing-we-have-to-fear-is-fear-itself-and-radiation dept.

gbrumfiel writes "Experts believe that the many thousands who fled from the Fukushima nuclear disaster received very low doses of radiation. But that doesn't mean there won't be health consequences. Nature magazine traveled to Fukushima prefecture and found evidence of an enormous mental strain from the accident. Levels of anxiety and PTSD-like symptoms are high among evacuees. Researchers fear that, in the long run, the mental problems could lead to depression and substance abuse among those who lost their homes. In other words, even if no one develops cancer as a direct result of radiation, the health effects could still be very real."

4 of 124 comments (clear)

  1. This is about information policy by rrohbeck · · Score: 4, Insightful

    If officials would reliably issue accurate statements there would be much less reason to stress out.

    --
    thegodmovie.com - watch it
  2. So let me get this? by scsirob · · Score: 5, Insightful

    .. Are they saying that fear mongering will kill more people than the radiation from actual nuclear disaster? Wow.
    So that means, on the death toll scale:
    1. The actual Tsunami
    2. Traffic accidents from people trying to flee
    3. Stress related deaths
    4. Radiation related deaths

    --
    To Terminate, or not to Terminate, that's the question - SCSIROB
    1. Re:So let me get this? by fredprado · · Score: 4, Insightful

      That seems accurate, but I would say that there are still a lot of other items between 3 and 4.

  3. Re:very low doses????? by BlackThorne_DK · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Please do me a favor. Don't go to the Grand Central Station with a geiger counter. Also stay away from Capitol Hill i D.C. and any other granite or marble building.
    Also bananas could be scary to look at, and flying to the east coast would also be a no-go.

    http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/reaction/interact/facts.html

    I wouldn't have you ramp up that nuclear fear too high, or you might be a part of statistics.

    Radiation is all around us, and the scientist are not even sure it is a bad thing.