ANTI: Dr. Mercola "Are Cell Phones Safe For Your Children?"
Some scientists are urging parents to reconsider giving their children mobile phones. In fact, the British-based National Radiological Protection Board has suggested children younger than age 8 should not be given a cellular phone as it risks exposing their young bodies to harmful radiation.
According to a University of Washington scientist: 70 to 80 percent of the energy emitted from the antenna of a mobile phone is absorbed in the head. This expert was particularly concerned about kids using mobiles because their younger skulls — contrary to popular opinion — are thinner and their growing brains may be much more susceptible to radiation exposure.
Because of these issues, along with other known effects of electromagnetic fields (EMFs), I used to discourage cell phone use entirely.
Either get a cell phone with a speakerphone and use it, or use one of these safe headsets.
ANTI: Businessweek "A Phone Safe Enough For The Kids?"
Walt Disney Co. is launching Disney Mobile, a cell-phone service aimed squarely at kids and their parents. The launch represents a dramatic about-face from the fall of 2000, when Disney abandoned plans to put Mickey and Minnie on Nokia Corp. cell-phone covers. The company retreated after a public outcry erupted over the question of whether mobile phones posed a health hazard, particularly to children. The big fear was that cell phones could one day be proven to cause cancer or other neurological disorders. The issue was controversial enough that Disney rescinded the licensing scheme, citing uncertainty about health risks.
Disney Mobile spokesperson Anthony Sprauve [...] added that the Food & Drug Administration has repeatedly stated that there is no concrete data showing any danger from cell phones. "Disney is relying on the FDA."
...read the full article
From "A Phone Safe Enough For the Kids? The cellphone industry sees a hot new market, but critics are worried."
The launch represents a dramatic about-face from the fall of 2000, when Disney abandoned plans to put Mickey and Minnie on Nokia Corp. cell-phone covers. The company retreated after a public outcry erupted over the question of whether mobile phones posed a health hazard, particularly to children. The big fear was that cell phones could one day be proven to cause cancer or other neurological disorders. The issue was controversial enough that Disney rescinded the licensing scheme, citing uncertainty about health risks.
Disney Mobile spokesperson Anthony Sprauve [...] added that the Food & Drug Administration has repeatedly stated that there is no concrete data showing any danger from cell phones. "Disney is relying on the FDA."
In some parts of the scientific community and in several European countries, though, the question of whether cell phones are safe, especially when it comes to kids, has yet to be answered. Britain's advisory body on radiological hazards, the Health Protection Agency, has issued precautionary advice urging parents to limit their kids' use of cell phones. The HPA recommends that younger children use cell phones only for essential purposes.
The FDA, for its part, says there's no available scientific evidence of health problems associated with using wireless phones. But it also notes that "there is no proof, however, that wireless phones are absolutely safe." Essentially, then, the U.S. offers no precautionary guidelines. So companies are preparing to go after what analysts say is the next gold mine: kids, even those as young as 5. Last year, Cingular Wireless launched the brightly colored Firefly, and Verizon Wireless put out a toylike four-button phone called Migo.
Cingular declined to comment on the health safety concern, saying that the real issue was kids' appropriate use of phones.
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MIDDLE GROUND/URGES CAUTION: WebMD "Are Cell Phones Safe for Kids?"
The good news is that — at least at this early stage of imperfect research — the link between cell phone use and adverse health issues is inconsistent and weak, interpreted by most experts as non-existent. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration states: "The available scientific evidence does not show any health problems are associated with using wireless phones."
That's reassuring, but the safety issue is far from resolved. The FDA goes on to say, "There is no proof, however, that wireless phones are absolutely safe." No surprise that: cell phones haven't been around that long. It's possible that chronic exposure could cause a problem that won't show up for another decade or two. (Of course, it's possible — even likely — that nothing will show up. Who knows? No one. Therein lies our dilemma.)
Additionally, as a developmental pediatrician I'm paranoid about potential environmental risks to a child's developing brain. Although many scientists feel it doesn't matter in this case, the brains of children are more active, more changeable, and often more susceptible to toxins than are the sluggish brains of us adults. I have to wonder: could early and prolonged exposure starting in childhood have unanticipated consequences, not yet studied and not seen in those who started as adults?
...read the full article
The good news is that — at least at this early stage of imperfect research — the link between cell phone use and adverse health issues is inconsistent and weak, interpreted by most experts as non-existent. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration states: "The available scientific evidence does not show any health problems are associated with using wireless phones."
That's reassuring, but the safety issue is far from resolved. The FDA goes on to say, "There is no proof, however, that wireless phones are absolutely safe." No surprise that: cell phones haven't been around that long. It's possible that chronic exposure could cause a problem that won't show up for another decade or two. (Of course, it's possible — even likely — that nothing will show up. Who knows? No one. Therein lies our dilemma.)
Additionally, as a developmental pediatrician I'm paranoid about potential environmental risks to a child's developing brain. Although many scientists feel it doesn't matter in this case, the brains of children are more active, more changeable, and often more susceptible to toxins than are the sluggish brains of us adults. I have to wonder: could early and prolonged exposure starting in childhood have unanticipated consequences, not yet studied and not seen in those who started as adults?
Really, I have no idea. Alas, neither does anyone else. Certainly there is no cause for panic: even if there is a risk, it seems likely to be small, based on what we know so far. I encourage you to follow this research yourself and see what conclusions you draw, now and in the future.
Should I, as a pediatrician, recommend you change your child's cell phone behaviors to lessen an unknown, perhaps non-existent, risk? Should you as a parent do the same?
I vote yes. Even if there turns out to be no risk, the steps to lessen exposure to cell phone radiation are pretty easy and pretty simple — we're not talking major lifestyle changes or sacrifice here and, considering how many hours of exposure your chatty child will log in over his/her lifetime . . .
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PRO/SKEPTICAL: Time (Canada) "Do Cell Phones Need Warnings?"
Any cell-phone shopper who walks into one of the 120 Metrocall stores across the U.S. these days should be ready for a shock. The clerk, instead of delivering a hard sell, will whip out a one-page health-and-safety bulletin that warns of the possible dangers of using a cell phone. The leaflet cautions parents who want phones for their children to consider pagers instead, to avoid exposing the youngsters to any risks.
The big problem is that scientists still haven't reached any definitive conclusions about cell-phone radiation. Given that, consumers may grasp at whatever data are available when deciding what to buy. That will be true especially for purchases made for children, whose developing brains absorb more radiation than adult brains and who could be exposed to potential harm for decades to come. That prospect has led parents like Gilbert Yablon to just say no. "I don't let my [eight-year-old] daughter talk on the cell phone," says Yablon, who runs a movie-graphics company just outside Los Angeles. "I'll take the risk for myself, but I don't want her exposed to it."
...read the full article
From "Do cell phones need warnings?" by John Greenwald (2000)
Any cell-phone shopper who walks into one of the 120 Metrocall stores across the U.S. these days should be ready for a shock. The clerk, instead of delivering a hard sell, will whip out a one-page health-and-safety bulletin that warns of the possible dangers of using a cell phone. The leaflet cautions parents who want phones for their children to consider pagers instead, to avoid exposing the youngsters to any risks.
The big problem is that scientists still haven't reached any definitive conclusions about cell-phone radiation. Given that, consumers may grasp at whatever data are available when deciding what to buy. That will be true especially for purchases made for children, whose developing brains absorb more radiation than adult brains and who could be exposed to potential harm for decades to come. That prospect has led parents like Gilbert Yablon to just say no. "I don't let my [eight-year-old] daughter talk on the cell phone," says Yablon, who runs a movie-graphics company just outside Los Angeles. "I'll take the risk for myself, but I don't want her exposed to it."
In England a blue-ribbon panel of experts recently called for "a precautionary approach" that includes discouraging children from making nonessential calls and using headsets to keep radiation away from the brain. The bottom line? "Don't use a mobile phone more than you have to," says physicist Lawrence Challis, vice chairman of the British group. "If there is a choice, use a landline phone."
The best answer science can offer so far is maybe. Researchers have discovered that cell-phone radiation can cause subtle, short-term biological effects in humans — including changes in brain-wave patterns during sleep — but their full significance remains to be determined. Given that uncertainty and the fact that everyone from the National Cancer Institute to the World Health Organization is investigating cell-phone radiation, many experts caution that it is far too early to give the phones a clean bill of health.
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PRO CELLPHONES: FDA "What Steps Can I Take to Reduce My Exposure to Radiofrequency Energy from My Wireless Phone?"
If there is a risk from these products — and at this point we do not know that there is — it is probably very small. But if you are concerned about avoiding even potential risks, you can take a few simple steps to minimize your exposure to radiofrequency energy (RF). Since time is a key factor in how much exposure a person receives, reducing the amount of time spent using a wireless phone will reduce RF exposure.
Again, the scientific data do not demonstrate that wireless phones are harmful. But if you are concerned about the RF exposure from these products, you can use measures like those described above to reduce your RF exposure from wireless phone use.
The scientific evidence does not show a danger to users of wireless phones, including children and teenagers. If you want to take steps to lower exposure to radiofrequency energy (RF), the measures described above would apply to children and teenagers using wireless phones. Reducing the time of wireless phone use and increasing the distance between the user and the RF source will reduce RF exposure.
...read the full article
If there is a risk from these products — and at this point we do not know that there is — it is probably very small. But if you are concerned about avoiding even potential risks, you can take a few simple steps to minimize your exposure to radiofrequency energy (RF). Since time is a key factor in how much exposure a person receives, reducing the amount of time spent using a wireless phone will reduce RF exposure.
Again, the scientific data do not demonstrate that wireless phones are harmful. But if you are concerned about the RF exposure from these products, you can use measures like those described above to reduce your RF exposure from wireless phone use.
The scientific evidence does not show a danger to users of wireless phones, including children and teenagers. If you want to take steps to lower exposure to radiofrequency energy (RF), the measures described above would apply to children and teenagers using wireless phones. Reducing the time of wireless phone use and increasing the distance between the user and the RF source will reduce RF exposure.
Some groups sponsored by other national governments have advised that children be discouraged from using wireless phones at all. For example, the government in the United Kingdom distributed leaflets containing such a recommendation in December 2000. They noted that no evidence exists that using a wireless phone causes brain tumors or other ill effects. Their recommendation to limit wireless phone use by children was strictly precautionary; it was not based on scientific evidence that any health hazard exists.
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