WHO Urges Cell Phone Safety Studies

["Sandy Perle" <sandyfl@earthlink.net>]

WHO Urges Cell Phone Safety Studies

GENEVA (AP) - The World Health Organization says there is still no 
evidence to prove that cellular phones pose any health risks, but 
further research is needed. 

The U.N. health agency cautioned Wednesday that investigations into 
whether radiation emitted by cell phones and their base stations 
increases head or neck cancer would last another three to four years. 
In the interim, there was no need for governments to introduce safety 
legislation. 

The agency's statement followed a recent announcement by the U.S. 
Food and Drug Administration that it planned further studies on 
safety aspects and recommendations by a British panel that children 
limit their conversations on cellphones because of safety questions. 

In many countries, more than half the population uses mobile phones. 
The industry predicts that there will be up to 1.6 billion users 
worldwide by the year 2005. 

``Given the immense numbers of users of mobile phones, even small 
adverse effects on health could have major public health 
implications,'' said the health organization. 

But it stressed that ``present scientific information does not 
indicate the need for any special precautions for use of mobile 
phones.'' 

``If individuals are concerned, they might choose to limit their own 
or their children's' exposure by limiting the length of calls, or 
using 'hands-free' devices to keep mobile phones away from the head 
and body,'' it said. 

It added that radiation ``absorbing devices'' on cell phones were of 
no value. 

So far the only proven hazard was the increased risk to motorists 
using either standard or ``hands free'' phones while driving, it 
said. 

``Motorists should be strongly discouraged from using mobile 
phones,'' the agency said. 

The WHO-associated International Agency for Research on Cancer is 
currently coordinating studies in 10 countries to identify whether 
there are links between use of cell phones and head and neck cancers. 
This research is expected to be complete in 2003. 

Some scientific studies have indicated that cell phone use causes 
changes in brain activity, reaction times and sleep patterns. 

``These effects are small and have no apparent health significance,'' 
the WHO statement said. 

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Sandy Perle					Tel:(714) 545-0100 / (800) 548-5100   				    	
Director, Technical				Extension 2306 				     	
ICN Worldwide Dosimetry Division		Fax:(714) 668-3149 	                   		    
ICN Biomedicals, Inc.				E-Mail: sandyfl@earthlink.net 				                           
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Costa Mesa, CA 92626                                      

Personal Website:  http://www.geocities.com/capecanaveral/1205
ICN Worldwide Dosimetry Website: http://www.dosimetry.com

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