Perhaps it will raise awareness. But even you have to admit that this run on them is predominately stupid. Manufacturers are running out of this stuff. People are just depleting the nation's stores of this for no good reason. If Hanford or Oak Ridge or any other power plant were to have a real meltdown, imbeciles across the country will be stockpiled while those that need it would be left out in the cold. And it's not like everyone buying this stuff is in an affected zone:

“I feel strongly there is a high likelihood we will have radiation coming from Japan,” said Tammy Lahutsky as she waited at the Texas Star Pharmacy in Plano, Texas on Tuesday. There’s not, but she bought six bottles for herself and a friend, anyway.

People aren't bashing each other in for canned goods....yet. At least I have all my gold; God bless Glenn Beck for giving me to trade in all my assets for something that would be completely worthless in a real post-apocalyptic nightmare.