Karen Pearson/Getty Images
READ MORE ABOUT:
It's a beautiful summer day, the sky is clear and the laundry is done, so I'd like to be the bearer of good news. But not today.
Please don't kill the messenger, because this is downright bone chilling. Hold on, don't click the page away--if you've got kids, or if you use a cell phone (let alone both) you'll want to listen up...
Here's the short and not-so-sweet: Your cell phone might cause brain cancer. (And no, I'm not receiving this message via crop circles...)
In a story that's been vastly under reported by national media because of either a.) the Olympics or b.) insert your favorite conspiracy theory here.
In the last few weeks, two major firebombs have come out warning against kids and cell phone use:
- The Canadian government has issued warnings associated with children and cell phone use, and
- The Pittsburg Cancer Center has issued similar warnings.
Here's a closer look:
Prominent cancer doctor Dr. Herberman of the University of Pittsburg Cancer Institute issued a frightening statement on the potential danger of kids and cell phone use. Herberman tells the AP (Associated Press):
"Really at the heart of my concern is that we shouldn't wait for a definitive study to come out, but err on the side of being safe rather than sorry later."
In a memo Dr. Herberman sent out to staff and faculty he suggested:
- Children should use cell phones only for emergencies because their brains are still developing
- Adults should keep the phone away from the head and use the speakerphone or a wireless headset
- Don't use cell phones in public places like a bus because it exposes others to the phone's electromagnetic fields (author's note--hey buddy, can ya stop yackin' on your phone so I don’t drop dead?--thank you very much!)
Now, could be, everything is actually OK. Studies by the FDA (Food and Drug Administration) indicate that the risk of getting cancer from cell phones is small.
However, on the other hand, cancer is the number one disease killer of kids in the U.S. And the second cause of death after accidents.
If there is cancer risk due to cell phones, the risk appears to be cumulative, with as little as ten minutes of cell phone use a day for 10 years putting users in the danger zone.
As if that’s not frickin' bad enough, other studies link dramatically reduced semen count and uh...activity...to cell phone use.
Taken from a joint study conducted by Reproductive Research Center, Glickman Urological Institute and Department of Obstetrics-Gynecology, and the Cleveland Clinic Foundation, on the effects of cell phone usage on men's fertility and sterility:
"Use of cell phones decrease the semen quality in men by decreasing the sperm count, motility, viability, and normal morphology. The decrease in sperm parameters was dependent on the duration of daily exposure to cell phones and independent of the initial semen quality." Via: PubMed.gov and the Associated Press.
If in doubt, keep in mind how devastating brain cancer really is, and the huge cost to families and taxpayers. Maybe here in the U.S. we can begin to follow authorities in England, France and India that have cautioned children's use of cell phones.
What can you do to prevent potential cell phone dangers?
It's time to implement the Precautionary Principle to protect our most vulnerable citizens, our kids. Related: Check out the news in New Jersey, where my friend fellow Green Guru Deirdre Imus is working to protect all our kids.
One piece of good news? This makes my "No honey, I'm afraid you won’t get the Chocolate phone" argument to my 11 year old feel a whole lot better...
Lynda Fassa is Planet Green's babies and family expert. She's the founder of Green Babies organic cotton baby clothes and the author of Green Babies, Sage Moms: The Ultimate Guide to Raising Your Organic Baby, and the forthcoming Green Kids, Sage Families: The Ultimate Guide to Raising Your Organic Family, both from Penguin NAL. Read her previous posts here. Green Babies is a registered trademark of Green Babies Inc.
-
- {}
