Ever
since cell phones first started making their way into the hands of
consumers, there have been recurring fears that the radiation from our
mobile devices could have adverse effects on our health. Studies on the
topic haven't found evidence strong enough to support the fear, but
people tend to think that it's better to be safe than sorry. That seemed
to be the idea behind a push by San Francisco lawmakers to get
retailers to warn customers of the risks, but that effort has been
abandoned.
San Francisco city leaders were
attempting to pass an ordinance that would force cell phone retailers to
warn customers about the potentially dangerous radiation from cell
phones. But, the Cellular Telecommunications Industry Association (CTIA)
had filed a lawsuit to get a permanent injunction on the ordinance,
because it believes the warnings to be misleading. Yesterday, the San
Francisco city Board of Directors voted to settle the suit and accept
the injunction.
So far, the World Health
Organization (WHO) has recently classified radio frequency fields as
"possibly carcinogenic to humans", although it has also said that the
evidence is limited right now. The American Cancer Society has said that
there could be some risk, but that there isn't enough evidence to prove
a causal relationship. The FCC has also deemed cell phones sold in the
US as safe, but is considering a reassessment of the acceptable
radiation exposure levels that the commission adopted in 1996.
Other
cities around the country had been watching the case closely in hopes
they could follow San Francisco's lead, but it looks like we still need
more proof before anything can go forward.
source: Reuters
