California Just Issued a Health Warning for Cell Phones—But It's Not as Scary as It Seems
The cell phone's reputation as a health risk is nearly as old as the technology itself. Worried consumers have blamed the device for everything from cancer to infertility, but with little evidence to back up these claims, experts have been split on the issue. Now California has come out with a list of guidelines in response to these supposed risks, Forbes reports.
The California Department of Public Health (CDPH) released the warning earlier in December following a lawsuit from University of California-Berkeley researcher Joel Moskowitz. Moskowitz claimed that the state of California was putting citizens in danger by withholding information on the potential side effects of cell phone usage.
The newly released document focuses on avoiding radiofrequency (RF) energy specifically. Cell phone signals are one source of RF energy, and because it's a type of radiation, it's a common source of phone-related cancer fears. The CDPH recommends reducing exposure to the energy waves by sending text messages instead of making calls, using the speakerphone or a headset when talking on the phone, and carrying your phone in a bag rather than your bra, pocket, or belt holster. The department also suggests breaking the habit of sleeping with your phone in your bed, or at least turning it off or activating airplane mode before falling asleep.
Cell phones release more RF energy at some points than others, like when you're traveling in a vehicle, streaming or downloading content, or using a phone in an area where the signal is weak. But even when RF energy from cell phones is at its strongest, it's still not as great as the radiation from X-rays or ultraviolet rays from the Sun, and the jury's still out over whether it poses a threat to your DNA at all.
Past research linking RF energy to brain cancer has come with some major caveats: One study found that rats exposed to RF energy were more likely to develop brain tumors, but those rats were hit with seven times the radiation a person would get from a cell phone (and also they were rats, so not a perfect replacement for humans). Even the CDPH acknowledges the limits of the evidence in the studies it cites.
These studies do not establish the link definitely, however, and scientists disagree about whether cell phones cause these health problems and how great the risks might be.
So if it makes you comfortable, go ahead and sleep with your cell phone on your night stand instead of under your pillow. But maybe don't use the warning as an excuse to start declining all your calls.
Article Source: http://mentalfloss.com/article/521434/california-just-issued-health-warning-cell-phones-its-not-scary-it-seems
Image Source: https://archive.org/download/woman-sleeping-with-cell-phone-620x330/woman-sleeping-with-cell-phone-620x330.jpg
VOCABULARY WORDS:
1. Lawsuit (n.) ~ a claim or dispute brought to a court of law for adjudication
2. Withhold (v.) ~ refuse to give (something that is due to or is desired by another)
3. Jury is still out (idiom) ~ people do not yet know the answer or have not yet decided if it is good or bad
4. Pose (v.) ~ present or constitute (a problem, danger, or difficulty)
5. Caveat (n.) ~ a warning or proviso of specific stipulations, conditions, or limitations
QUESTIONS FOR DISCUSSION:
1. What are some of the health dangers usually associated with mobile phones?
2. Do you make it a habit to sleep with your phone under your pillow? What is the reason for that?
3. Where do you usually place your phone when you are travelling? Since the study says that a phone releases more RF energy when in transit, would you change your habit? Discuss your answer.
4. What are your suggestions in minimizing the health risk of using mobile phones especially for children?
