New
Mobile Phone Safety Advice
ITN
December 08, 2000
Safety
precautions to protect the public from the possible hazards of mobile phones
are set to be announced by the Government.
The package of measures was expected to reflect the recommendations made in a
report on mobile phones and health earlier this year.
The Independent Expert Group on Mobile Phones led by Sir William Stewart found
nothing to prove that mobile phones were a health risk.
But the report said there was preliminary evidence that mobile phone radiation
may cause "subtle biological changes".
Although these were not necessarily harmful, the group advised adopting a
precautionary approach until better scientific information was available.
The measures are expected to include a multi-million pound programme of
research and an audit of mobile phone base stations.
They may also include leaflets for members of the public providing advice
about the health effects of mobile phones.
In its response to the Stewart report, the Government agreed that
international guidelines for emissions from mobile phones and base stations
should be adopted in the UK.
However, these would not have to be enshrined in new laws.
The Government also agreed that manufacturers should ensure that customers
know the SAR values of the handsets they are buying.
SAR, or Specific Absorption Rate, measures the rate at which mobile phone
radiation is absorbed by the body.
Both these measures may feature in the announcement.
In addition, there might be recommendations for clearer warning signs around
base stations.
The Government has said it is considering making it a requirement that full
planning permission be granted for all new telecommunication masts.
The Government may also be taking forward further proposals to protect
children and parents from emissions from base stations sited in and around
schools.
More than 27 million people in the UK use mobile phones, but the public has
received mixed messages over the safety of handsets.
It has been suggested that low frequency electromagnetic radiation from mobile
phones may cause a wide range of health problems, from memory loss to brain
cancer.
However, none of these fears is supported by solid research.
The package
being announced follows discussions with industry, consumer groups and
scientists.
Mobile phones head for one billion mark
Safety precautions to protect the public from the
possible hazards of mobile phones are being announced by the Government. More
than 27 million people in Britain andmore than 300 million worldwide use
mobilephones. The total number of mobile phones in the
world is expected to reach one billion by 2005. The first mobile phones cost
around £2700,
but prices plummeted as technology advancedand many companies now offer
handsets for
6.00 in special deals to attract new customers. Mobile phones emit microwaves
similar to
those used in microwave ovens, but at a muchlower power level. They have
generated a multitude of scare stories, including suggestions that they cause
cancer and memory loss, but the industry insiststhere is no evidence they have
any harmful effects. Research into mobiles includes a study at the University
Neurology Clinic in Freiburg, Germany,which claimed they can increase blood
pressure the rise was small, but could be harmful to people
with high blood pressure, said researchers. Dr Kjell-Hansson Mild, at the
National Institute
of Working Life in Umea, Sweden, conducted tests on 11,000 mobile users which
suggested
regular use could lead to fatigue, headaches, and skin irritation. Research at
the University of Washington,Seattle, USA, suggested that microwaves can
induce stress. Swedish cancer specialist Dr Lennart Hardell has claimed to
have found a correlation between which side of the head mobile users hold
theirhandset and the location of tumours. A University of Bristol team, led by
Dr Alan Preece, found no evidence of mobile phone users suffering impairment
of memory, spatial awareness or attention.
