NOTICE: The Lake County General Health District has received a new supply of potassium iodide (KI) tablets to replace old tablets that expired at the end of 2021. Please see information for residents and businesses below for information on how to get new KI. The new supply will not expire until October 31, 2029. Please note this program is ONLY for residents who live or businesses with physical locations within 10 miles of the Perry Nuclear Power Plant. Proof of residence or business within this zone is now required effective March 16, 2022.
The Lake County General Health District (LCGHD) provides free potassium iodide (KI) tablets for Lake County residents and businesses within the 10-mile Emergency Planning Zone (EPZ) around the Perry Nuclear Power Plant. The EPZ also includes portions of Ashtabula and Geauga counties, and those residents and businesses are provided KI by their respective health departments.
Radioactive iodine may be released from a nuclear power plant during an emergency. If breathed or swallowed, it can damage your thyroid gland, which could cause loss of thyroid function, nodules, or thyroid cancer. Children are at greater risk for thyroid damage than adults. Use of KI, which is a non-prescription medication, protects your thyroid gland by saturating the thyroid gland with non-radioactive iodine, blocking harmful radioactive iodine from being absorbed. KI only protects the thyroid from radioactive iodine. It does not protect other parts of the body from radioactive iodine and does not protect against other forms of radiation.
KI is unlikely to protect you from the health effects of a nuclear bomb explosion. It only protects the thyroid gland after breathing, eating, or drinking something that is contaminated with one type of radioactive material: radioactive iodine (I-131), which could be released in a nuclear power plant emergency. Fallout from a nuclear bomb is made up of hundreds of types of radioactive materials, and contains a relatively small amount of radioactive iodine. For more information on protecting yourself during radiation emergencies, please visit this CDC website.
Please see information below for obtaining new KI for residents and businesses.
KI Information for Residents
Residents who live within the 10-mile EPZ should keep KI tablets in their homes (one dose pack per family member) to have on hand in case of an emergency at the Power Plant. KI should be kept in a safe place at room temperature and only used in an emergency. In the event of an emergency at the Power Plant, health or emergency officials will inform residents if and when they need to take their KI. If an emergency occurs and you are not at home, do not go home to get your KI. Care Center locations will have KI on hand for you.
For residents outside of the 10-mile EPZ and not covered by this program, you may wish to purchase KI for your household. To the knowledge of LCGHD, only two brands of KI are currently FDA Approved, and they can be reliably purchased from the links below:
Lake County residents who live in the 10-mile EPZ may pick up free KI tablets at LCGHD’s main office (one per household member) between 8:00 a.m. and 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday (address below). Residents may walk in and do not need to call in advance. Effective March 16, 2022 please bring proof of residency in the form of a state-issued ID or utility bill bearing your name.
This includes those who live in:
- Concord
- Fairport
- Grand River
- Leroy
- Madison
- Mentor (East of Heisley Road and Mentor-on-the-Lake)
- Painesville
- Perry
- Thompson (Lake County)
Lake County General Health District Main Office
5966 Heisley Road
Mentor, Ohio 44060
Alternatively, Lake County residents may pick up free KI (one per household member) at the following community locations during their normal business hours. Effective March 16, 2022, please bring proof of residency in the form of a state-issued ID or utility bill bearing your name:
Perry Township Trustees Office – 3470 Center Rd., Perry, Ohio 44081
North Perry Village Hall – 4449 Lockwood Rd., Perry, Ohio 44081
Madison Township Administration Building – 2065 Hubbard Rd, Madison, Ohio 44057
Madison Village Hall – 33 E. Main St., Madison, Ohio 44057
Lake County residents who live in the 10-mile EPZ may also pick up free KI (one per household member) at any of the following pharmacy locations – Effective March 16, 2022, please bring proof of residency in the form of a state-issued ID or utility bill bearing your name:
| Pharmacy Name | Address | Phone Number |
|---|---|---|
| CVS Pharmacy | 1890 North Ridge Rd., Painesville, Ohio 44077 | (440)352-7051 |
| CVS Pharmacy | 1506 Mentor Ave., Painesville, OH 44077 | (440)354-5609 |
| CVS Pharmacy | 9040 Mentor Ave., Mentor, Ohio 44060 | (440)255-9159 |
| Discount Drug Mart | 8023 Crile Rd., Concord, Ohio 44077 | (440)853-2542 |
| Discount Drug Mart | 8500 Mentor Ave., Mentor, Ohio 44060 | (440)255-0040 |
| Giant Eagle Pharmacy | 6556 North Ridge Rd., Madison, OH 44057 | (440)428-6111 |
| Giant Eagle Pharmacy | 1201 Mentor Ave., Painesville, Ohio 44077 | (440)358-7769 |
| Marc’s Pharmacy | 7353 Mentor Ave., Mentor, Ohio 44060 | (440)951-1721 |
| Meijer Pharmacy | 9200 Mentor Ave., Mentor, Ohio 44060 | (440)266-4410 |
| Walgreens | 132 Richmond St., Painesville, OH 44077 | (440)350-1928 |
| Walgreens | 9400 Mentor Ave., Mentor, OH 44060 | (440)255-6247 |
| Walgreens | 6707 North Ridge Rd., Madison, Ohio 44057 | (440)428-3330 |
| Walgreens | 6101 Andrews Rd, Mentor on the Lake, OH 44060 | (440)209-8391 |
Residents of Geauga and Ashtabula Counties who reside within the 10-mile EPZ should reach out to their county’s health department, as LCGHD only receives an allocation for Lake County residents and businesses. Contact information is provided below:
- Ashtabula County Health Department – 12 W. Jefferson St., Jefferson, OH 44047. (440) 576-6010 www. ashtabulacountyhealth.com
- Geauga Public Health –12611 Ravenwood Dr., Chardon, OH, 44024. (440) 279-1900. http://gphohio.org/
Disposal Information:
The Ohio Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recommends disposing of expired KI by placing it in the household trash.
To learn more about Potassium Iodide (KI), please review the following fact sheets:
Potassium Iodide (KI) Fact Sheet
Yoduro de Potasio (KI) Hoja de Hechos
Other Resources:
- Emergency Preparedness Information (EPI) Brochure
- Lake County, Ohio Emergency Management Agency Nuclear Preparedness
- Ohio Department of Health KI Information
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) KI Information (CDC Yoduro de Potasio)
- U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission KI Information
- U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission Perry Nuclear Power Plant Information
- U.S. Food & Drug Administration Radiation Emergencies Information
For more information or questions, please call (440)350-2543.
KI Information for Businesses
Businesses, organizations, and other large employers located within the 10-mile EPZ should consider having a supply of KI on hand to provide to employees in case of an emergency at the Power Plant. This supply should be maintained in a safe location at room temperature, and only distributed to employees if and when emergency or health officials instruct those in the EPZ to take KI.
For businesses outside of the 10-mile EPZ and not covered by this program, you may wish to purchase KI for your organization. To the knowledge of LCGHD, only two brands of KI are currently FDA Approved, and they can be reliably purchased from the links below:
Lake County Businesses within 10 miles of the Perry Nuclear Power Plant may request KI using our web form. Orders will be prepared for pick up at our main office (address below) beginning October 25, 2021. We ask for two business days’ notice to allow us time to prepare your order. Once your order is ready, you will receive an email indicating your order is ready for pick-up. Please call (440)350-2543 before coming to pick up your order if you do not receive an email indicating your order is ready by your requested pickup date.
Lake County General Health District Main Office
5966 Heisley Road
Mentor, Ohio 44060
Disposal Information:
The Ohio Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recommends disposing of expired KI by placing it in the trash.
To learn more about Potassium Iodide (KI), please review the following fact sheets:
Potassium Iodide (KI) Fact Sheet
Yoduro de Potasio (KI) Hoja de Hechos
Other Resources:
- Emergency Preparedness Information (EPI) Brochure
- Lake County, Ohio Emergency Management Agency Nuclear Preparedness
- Ohio Department of Health KI Information
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) KI Information (CDC Yoduro de Potasio)
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC): Potassium Iodide (KI) is not an ‘Anti Radiation’ Drug
- U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission KI Information
- U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission Perry Nuclear Power Plant Information
- U.S. Food & Drug Administration Radiation Emergencies Information
For more information or questions, please call (440)350-2543.
