{"id":6555,"date":"2015-05-17T12:12:16","date_gmt":"2015-05-17T19:12:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/emrabc.ca\/?p=6555"},"modified":"2015-05-21T12:14:50","modified_gmt":"2015-05-21T19:14:50","slug":"berkeley-cellphone-law-renews-debate-over-potential-health-risks","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/emrabc.ca\/?p=6555","title":{"rendered":"Berkeley cellphone law renews debate over potential health risks"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Berkeley, California passed an ordinance law forcing phone retailers to place warnings on their products regarding potential exposure to radiation.<\/p>\n

CTVNews.ca Staff \u00a0<\/span>Published Sunday, May 17, 2015 9:02 PM EDT\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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A landmark decision in a U.S. city over cellphone use has triggered renewed concerns over the potential health risks associated with our mobile devices.<\/p>\n

Last week, the city of Berkeley in California passed an ordinance law forcing phone retailers to place warnings on their products regarding potential exposure to radiation.<\/p>\n

The warnings must encourage customers to keep the devices five to 25 millimetres away from their bodies.<\/p>\n

Berkeley is the first community in North America to mandate warnings on cellphones.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe relish the idea of Berkeley being first in the forefront of those efforts to protect the public,\u201d said city councillor Max Anderson.<\/p>\n

But the move is raising questions again in the science and tech worlds about the potential for adverse effects from phones, and what users need to know.<\/p>\n

Cellphones emit radiofrequency radiation. The closer it is to the body, the higher the dose.<\/p>\n

Taking that into consideration, the proposed warning in Berkeley is as follows:<\/p>\n

\u201cIf you carry or use your cellphone in a pants or shirt pocket, you may exceed guidelines for exposure to radio frequency radiation.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

Concerned that studies are beginning to link cellphone use to fertility problems and cancer, University of Toronto scientist Dr. Anthony Miller says he hopes other municipalities follow suit.<\/p>\n

\u201cPeople need to keep the devices as far away as possible,\u201d Miller told CTV News. \u201cDistance is your friend.\u201d<\/p>\n

The U.S. wireless industry however, is expected to challenge the Berkeley law, with Canadian officials insisting the technology is safe at any distance.<\/p>\n

\u201cI keep it in my pocket,\u201d said Kurt Eby, director of the Canadian Wireless Telecommunications Association. \u201cMost of my friends do, my family does as well.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe vast majority of scientific evidence in Canada and around the world does not support any link between RF energy exposure and any negative impact on human health.\u201d<\/p>\n

Still, Dr. Miller says consumers need to know about scientific concerns so they can take precautions.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey could lower exposure, by avoiding holding the phone to head,\u201d he said, adding cellphone users should opt to use ear buds or the speaker phone function.<\/p>\n

In Canada, a private member\u2019s bill is\u00a0proposing the same warnings<\/a>\u00a0for retailers here.<\/p>\n

With a report by CTV medical specialist Avis Favaro and producer Elizabeth St. Philip<\/em><\/p>\n

http:\/\/www.ctvnews.ca\/health\/berkeley-cellphone-law-renews-debate-over-potential-health-risks-1.2378764<\/a><\/p>\n

http:\/\/www.ctvnews.ca\/video?playlistId=1.2378893<\/a><\/p>\n

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