Subject:  Britain begins to "regulate" cell phones (Whitehead).
Date:     Mon, 27 Nov 2000 181824 -0600
From:     Roy Beavers 
To:       guru 
--------------------------------------------------

.........From EMF-L.......

A number of you have sent me this story.  I believe it is the first
solid example of some recognition that "regulation" is needed.....
It is the first step -- but it is an important step.....  (Think
about the tobacco case history.....)  ......guru......

-------- Original Message --------
Subject: article
Date: Mon, 27 Nov 2000 10:01:58 -0500
From: "whitehead" 
To: "Roy Beavers" 

Hi Roy:

Here is an interesting article from the Guardian in Great Britain that your
readers might find interesting.   Are they smarter than us?  - -  or just a
little more honest?

Richard Whitehead
rewhitehead@netzero.net
Merritt Island, FL.
===========================================================
Mobile phones to carry health warning

Special report: mobile phone fears

Vikram Dodd
Monday November 27, 2000

All mobile phones sold in Britain are set to carry health warnings about the
dangers of excessive use, particularly for children.
The warnings, expected to be launched in the run up to Christmas, are aimed
at parents buying mobile phones for their children as presents.

The move, which phone manufacturers believe is unnecessary, comes amid
concern at the possible effects of cell phone use on the brain because of
microwave radiation.

In May an official inquiry found no evidence that mobile phone use damaged
health, but neither could it prove it was harmless.

The inquiry, chaired by Sir William Stewart, said the widespread use of
mobiles by children should be discouraged, but left it to parents to make an
"informed choice".

Last Christmas mobile phones were one of the most popular presents with 4m
sold. Nearly half the population has one, with 25m being bought since the
product hit the market.

The wording of the leaflet is being finalized and it is unlikely it will
state how much time a day it is safe for a child to use a mobile.

A source said: "This will not be a cigarette packet style warning. We think
consumers need advice on how to and how not to use a mobile phone."

Mike Caldwell, from the Vodafone network, said: "It's a precautionary
approach aimed especially at children. In broad terms it will say if
children have to make a call, they should be kept to a minimum. The Stewart
report did not give any guidance on how long should be applied, but common
sense is the best bet."

The Consumers Association welcomed the "better informing of consumers about
mobile phones".

A British industry source said: "The health scare has not slowed the market
in the slightest. People are of the opinion that there is more chance of
being run over by a bus."

Tapio Hedman, spokesman for the mobile phone manufacturer Nokia, said he
believed warning leaflets were unnecessary. Fears about the health risk to
children were so unfounded that he would be happy to let his children aged
eight and 10 use mobile phones all day.

He added: "All the mobile phones available fulfill all the safety standards
and limits set by authorities in the given country and internationally."

In the US, fears over the risks of mobile phones to children's health last
week led the Disney company to stop licensing its cartoon characters for
cell phones.

Professor Colin Blakemore of Oxford University, a member of the Stewart
inquiry and an expert on the brain, last week told American television: "If
there is a hazard from this technology, then the kids are more vulnerable.
And I think if the industry were to behave truly responsibly, they would
play their part in discouraging children from unnecessary use."

Prof Blakemore said children would be more at risk from any health risks
because their heads are smaller, making them more vulnerable to microwaves.
A child's thinner skull is also less resistant to radiation penetration.





_____NetZero Free Internet Access and Email______
   http://www.netzero.net/download/index.html


Archive provided courtesy of WaveGuide, http://www.wave-guide.org
Reprinted with permission of Roy Beavers, http://www.emfguru.com