BERKELEY — The California Department of Public Health this week issued guidelines on reducing people’s exposure to radio frequency energy from cell phones that echo Berkeley’s disclosure requirements for sales of the devices, a matter that was the subject of recent litigation.
“Although the science is still evolving, there are concerns among some public health professionals and members of the public regarding long-term, high use exposure to the energy emitted by cell phones,” CDPH Director and State Public Health Officer Dr. Karen Smith said in a press release Wednesday. “We know that simple steps, such as not keeping your phone in your pocket and moving it away from your bed at night, can help reduce exposure for both children and adults.”
“Some laboratory experiments and human health studies have suggested the possibility that long-term, high use of cell phones may be linked to certain types of cancer and other health effects,” the new state guidelines say in part, citing brain cancer, tumors of the acoustic nerve, low sperm count and inactive sperm, headaches, and effects on learning and memory, hearing, behavior, and sleep.
In May 2015, the Berkeley City Council approved a cell phone disclosure ordinance that obligates vendors to warn buyers that carrying the devices close to the body could expose them to excessive radiation. A national industry group, CTIA -The Wireless Association, sued in federal court, characterizing the mandatory warnings as “ill-informed and misleading” and arguing that the ordinance violates retailers’ First Amendment rights by forcing them to proclaim a message with which they disagree.
A judge issued a preliminary injunction against enforcement of the ordinance later that year, pending removal of a sentence stating that the potential risk is greater to children. Once the Berkeley council cut out the sentence, the judge lifted the injunction. CTIA appealed, but was turned down.
The new state guidelines include practical steps to reduce exposure to radio frequency energy from cell phones, such as:
- Keeping the phone away from the body
- Reducing cell phone use when the signal is weak
- Reducing the use of cell phones to stream audio or video, or to download or upload large files
- Keeping the phone away from the bed at night
- Removing headsets when not on a call
- Avoiding products that claim to block radio frequency energy. “These products may actually increase your exposure,” the guidelines say.
CTIA, commenting on the new state guidelines, issued the following statement Wednesday:
“Americans’ health is important to CTIA and the wireless industry, and we encourage consumers to consult the experts. According to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, the Federal Communications Commission, the World Health Organization, the American Cancer Society and numerous other international and U.S. organizations and health experts, the scientific evidence shows no known health risk due to the RF energy emitted by cellphones. As the FDA states on its website, ‘[t]he weight of scientific evidence has not linked cellphones with any health problems.’ Likewise, the FCC monitors scientific research on a regular basis, and its standard for RF exposure is based on recommended guidelines adopted by U.S. and international standard-setting bodies. That’s why the FCC has determined that all wireless phones legally sold in the United States are ‘safe.’”
