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.
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an excellent overview of the current political/scientific
cellular phone situation by B. Blake Levitt, an expert in the field.
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