$10 million research
- health hazards of cellular phones
Britain announced plans for a $10 million research program into
the potential health hazards of cellular phones.
England's Chief Medical Officer Liam Donaldson said leaflets
advising people to keep calls short and to discourage children
from using them will also be included with each new phone.
"It is essential that we provide people with the evidence
on this issue to allow them to make an informed choice about using
their mobile phones," said Donaldson.
Although there is no irrefutable medical evidence about health
risks the government is taking a precautionary approach. Nearly
half of Britain's population, more than 25 million people, own
a cell phone. A quarter of users are under 18 years old. The research
program and leaflets follow a report from a government inquiry
into the safety of cell phones that was published in May.
Sir William Stewart, who led the inquiry, will head the research
program that will be funded by the government and the cell phone
industry. "On the basis of the precautionary approach outlined
in the Stewart report, the leaflets provide advice that, if you
use a mobile phone, you can choose to minimize your exposure to
radio waves by keeping your calls short," Donaldson added.
The leaflets will also contain information about living near
cellular phone base stations and the specific absorption rate
(SAR), which is how much radio wave energy the body absorbs from
each phone.
Beginning next year there will be a European Standard method
for measuring SAR which will be provided with each phone. Scientists
say the jury is still out on whether cell phones cause brain tumors
or other health problems. Some researchers claim they are the
cause of headaches, sleeping disorders and memory loss.
Children could be more vulnerable to any potential ill effects
because they have thinner skulls, smaller heads and their nervous
system is still developing. A study released earlier this month
showed hands-free phone kits could boost the brain's exposure
to radiation. The government leaflet said more studies are needed
to assess the SAR of the hands-free kit. Research in the United
States has shown that heavy users of cell phones are involved
in more fatal road accidents than people who use them less often.
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