Cell Phones that Kill
December 09, 2004
Almost 1 in 3 Canadians are cell phone owners. Cell phones have become so much in today's society. These small devices serve not only as general communication tools, but as gadgets to call for help in emergencies and even socio-economic status symbols. But how safe is our fixation with cell phones?
The topic of this rant is not exactly accurate -- or at least it has not been proven to be accurate just yet. This week the Swedish Confederation of Professional Employees revealed a new set of measurements for what would be considered safe radiation levels emanating from cell phones. These measurements are called the TCO'01 standard. In two separate tests only 30% and 28% respectively managed to pass the safe radiation levels set out by the TCO'01.
The Swedish Confederation of Professional Employees is not new to setting standards -- it has become one of the world leaders in standard setting. It is the same organization that set the world-wide industry standard for radiation limits from computer monitors. Their standards are set not to influence the quality of the product's service, while ensuring human health and safety.
To date there is no conclusive evidence that radiation from cell phones is harmful or harmless. Beyond radiation, studies that show that using a cell phone while driving increases the probability of being in an accident. It is up to us to decide whether we want to take the gamble of using cell phones. Health Canada even says:
"Only you can decide if you can live with the possibility of an unknown risk from cell phone use."
in its brief report on the safety of cell phones. The same report also mentions that cell phone usage has been linked to changes in brain activity, alterations in reaction times, and increases in the time it takes to fall asleep.
In Canada, our standards for radiation are set by the Consumer and Clinical Radiation Protection Bureau at Health Canada. They have standards for all kinds of things that emit radiation including microwaves, computer monitors, smoke detectors and yes, even cell phones. Their standards are much more relaxed than the TCO'01 standard and very similar to standards used in the United States. The Consumer and Clinical Radiation Protection Bureau is currently participating in a survey being undertaken by the World Health Organization to more thoroughly see how dangerous cell phone radiation is.
This survey is being done in collaboration with large cell phone manufacturers and pro-cellular lobby groups. There have been stories and allegations of influence by these bodies to make the results supportive of cellular phones. While this study takes place, Health Canada seems complacent with leaving the risk of cell phone usage up to uninformed Canadians.
Instead of ensuring the safety of Canadians by adopting a standard like TCO'01, Health Canada is supporting cell phone behemoths and leaving Canadians at unnecessary risk. As a matter of fact, the current stance of Health Canada may benefit a few in the short term, and could be very costly in the long term, especially if cell phone usage does prove to have health impacts. (Imagine the costs to our health care system, and to the economy from lost productivity.)
If cell phones do prove to be dangerous, they will not be the first product which went through a cycle of common usage before being recognized as a hazard. DDT, cigarettes, microwaves, trans fats, CFCs, asbestos and many other products were commonly used before being found to be hazardous in one way or another. Until further notice, cell phones could be the next health-damaging item. Health Canada should stop playing with the health of Canadians for the short-term economic benefit of the few -- Health Canada should implement stringent cell phone standards now for the long term gain of all.
It should be noted that I use my cell phone for over 1000 minutes every month, so this issue is of very special concern for me!