Diamonds? No Thanks. Salt? Yes Please!

Message to salt manufacturers: If you want to make a quick buck, get to China as fast as you can!
The salt industry is having a huge surge this week as demand is far outweighing supply. It’s been reported that in some places, cities nearby to me, people have waited 4, 5 or even 6 hours just to get small bags of salt. Why? Because of the Japanese nuclear disaster.
There are two reasons that Chinese people on the coast have been scrambling for salt.
The first is because of potassium iodine tablet, which helps to protect your thyroid from nuclear radiation damage. Because most salt has iodine added, people mistakenly believe that eating salt will prevent radiation damage.
While it’s true that iodine in salt is actually the same type found in the pills, it is a much lower level. According to an NPR report, you would have to eat 3 and a half pounds of salt, at one sitting, to equal the amount of iodine in one pill. I don’t even think that is physically possible, but that hasn’t stopped people from trying. There is a rumor going around that someone in Zhejiang Province, where I live, has died from over consumption of salt. (A candidate for the Darwin Awards I think.)
The worst of the radiation is heading more towards the west coast of America, rather than China. But despite all major news outlets reporting that there is no danger to Chinese people, fake scientific pictures have been circulating with a giant deadly radiation plume right over the coast of China, fueling the hysteria.
The other reason people are hoarding salt is because they think that now the radiation has entered the ocean, any future salt with be contaminated. Never mind that only a small fraction of salt comes from the ocean (80% of the salt in China is from mines), never mind that we’ve had way worse radiation problems that haven’t affected the salt before, never mind that we have polluted the waters every which way for decades, never mind that, shall I continue or do you get the point?
The government has come out strongly to speak against buying salt, but clearly this isn’t a time for rational argument. Chinese people rank as the smartest people on so many different levels. Yet, a situation like this proves they can act incredibly irrational and ignore all the facts. (Hmmm, sounds like Americans come to think of it.)
There are a few winners coming out of this though, shopkeepers and the salt industry. I’ve heard that little bags of salt, which usually go for about 2 yuan, have been marked up for 10 yuan or more. (I’ve also heard that the police are cracking down on the price gouging and issuing fines to stores who have done so.) I’ve also heard that different stores on Taobao (a huge shopping website) are offering packets of salt when you, say, buy their shoes or other unsalt related goods. As for me, I’m going to avoid the crowds and stay at home. Can someone please pass the MSG?