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For the first time ever, health officials, in this case from California, have issued warnings and guidelines about the dangers of radiation in relation to cell phones. The California Department of Public Health has decided that it’s about time someone out there addressed this subject and released a guide on how to reduce your exposure to cell phone radiation.
Many have often wondered if the massive amounts of technology around us now, that is constantly sending out signals, from cell phones to WiFi to smart appliances and on and on, could possibly be having a negative affect on our health. Now we know, for sure, that cell phones could be the 21st century version of cigarettes.
Much like when cigarettes were smoked regularly in places like airplanes, restaurants and even doctor’s offices, cell phones and their related products are now used pretty much anywhere and everywhere. So it was only a matter of time before some health organization finally issued some warnings and guidelines.
CBS News reports…
“We recognize that there are a lot of people in the general public that have some concerns about their cellphones and whether using a cellphone is safe,” said Dr. Karen Smith of the California Department of Public Health.
“When you sleep, you keep the cellphone at least arm’s length away from your body. And also, not carrying your cellphone in your pocket, having it either in your purse or not carrying it with you,” Smith advised.
According to CBS Sacramento, the guidelines also recommend:
• Reducing cellphone use when the signal is weak.
• Reducing the use of cellphones to stream audio or video, or to download or upload large files.
• Keeping the phone away from the bed at night.
• Removing headsets when not on a call.Although conclusive medical research is lacking, some studies suggest a possible connection between cellphone use and the risk of brain tumors, low sperm count, headaches, and impaired memory, hearing, and sleep. California officials cite concerns that “long-term high use may impact human health.”
And here I thought all we had to worry about was our cell phones exploding and setting us on fire. Turns out it could be far worse than that.
Dr. Joel Moskowitz of UC Berkeley told CBS San Francisco, “Currently we’re not doing a good job in regulating radiation from these devices. In fact, we’re doing an abysmal job.”
Moskowitz is partially responsible for bringing this information to light. He sued the California Department of Public Health for refusing to release information about the dangers of cellphone radiation back in 2009. This spring he won that case.
“People are being injured and harmed by the delay in having this information accessible to them,” Moskowitz said.
Folks like the Cellular Telecommunications and Internet Association say we have nothing to fear (because of course they did)…
“Americans’ health is important to CTIA and the wireless industry, and we encourage consumers to consult the experts. According to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, the Federal Communications Commission, the World Health Organization, the American Cancer Society and numerous other international and U.S. organizations and health experts, the scientific evidence shows no known health risk due to the RF energy emitted by cellphones. As the FDA states on its website, ‘[t]he weight of scientific evidence has not linked cellphones with any health problems.’ Likewise, the FCC monitors scientific research on a regular basis, and its standard for RF exposure is based on recommended guidelines adopted by U.S. and international standard-setting bodies. That’s why the FCC has determined that all wireless phones legally sold in the United States are ‘safe.'”
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I’m sure that statement won’t come back to bite them in the ass at some point. Just in case though, here are the California Department of Public Health’s cell phone full list of guidelines.