For every study that links cell phones to brain cancer, there is another that debunks it. Dennis Kucinich (D-Ohio) believes it is time to revisit this issue, put warning labels on cell phones and encourage research in cell phone radiation levels.
Federal bill H.R. 6358, entitled the Cell Phone Right to Know Act, was introduced to Congress last this week.
"Consumers have a right to know the radiation levels of cell phones and whether they are buying the phone with the lowest – or the highest – level of exposure to cell phone radiation. They also deserve to have up-to-date exposure standards that are put together by health professionals without conflicts of interest," said Kucinich.
The bill suggests that future phones should carry a "readily accessible" label that lists the exposure rating of the device, the maximum allowable exposure level, and the maximum allowable exposure goal." The information should be viewable "upon regular use of the device; at any point of sale in a store in the United States; at any point of sale on a Web site engaging in commerce in the United States; and on the outside packaging and in the instruction manual."
The research program, which is closely tied to the product labeling should be targeted at evaluating "whether exposure to electromagnetic fields from mobile communication devices causes adverse biological effects in humans, including especially vulnerable subpopulations such as children, pregnant women, those with compromised immune systems and hypersensitivity reactions, men and women of reproductive age, and the elderly."
"It took decades for scientists to be able to say for sure that smoking caused cancer," Kucinich said. During those decades, the false impression created by industry supporters was that there was no connection between smoking and cancer, a deception which cost many lives. While we wait for scientists to sort out the health effects of cell phone radiation, we must allow consumers to have enough information to choose a phone with less radiation."
