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[A658]Are Cell Phones Safe

by Paul Fitzgerald, Pau

In December, 2006, an epidemiological study on cell phone dangers published in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute sent the media into a frenzy.10 Newspaper headlines blared: The Danish Study Shows Cell Phone Use is Safe,while TV newscasters proclaimed, Go ahead and talk all you want it's safe!

The news seemed to be a holiday gift for cell phone users. But unfortunately, it's a flawed study, funded by the cell phone industry and designed to bring a positive result. The industry's public relations machine is working in overdrive to assure that the study get top-billing in the media worldwide.

According to Dr. George Carlo, the study, by its design, could not identify even a very large risk. Therefore, any claim that it proves there's no risk from cell phones is a blatant misrepresentation of the data that will give consumers a very dangerous false sense of security.

Epidemiological studies are targets for fixing the outcome because they're observational in nature instead of experimental,Dr. Carlo explains. It's possible to design studies with pre-determined outcomes that still fall within the range of acceptable science. Thus, even highly flawed epidemiological studies can be published in peer-reviewed journals because they're judged against a pragmatic set of standards that assume the highest integrity among the investigators.
Key problems with the study are:

1. There are few discernible differences between who was defined as cell phone users and who wasn't. Thus, people defined as exposed to radiation were pretty much the same as those defined as not exposed to radiation. With few differences, it's nearly impossible to find a risk.

2. Users were defined as anyone who made at least one phone call per week for six months between 1982 and 1995. So any person who made 26 calls was a cell phone user and therefore considered exposed to radiation. Those with less than 26 calls were non-users. In reality, the radiation exposure between users and non-users defined in this manner is not discernible.

3. The exposed people used ancient cell phone technology bearing little resemblance to cell phones used today. The results, even if reliable, have no relevance to the 2 billion cell phone users today.

4.From 1982 to 1995, cell phone minutes cost much more than today and people used their phones much less. Thus there was very little radiation exposure.

5.During the studies time frame, people likely to use their cell phones the most were commercial subscribers. Yet this highest exposed group, in whom risk would most easily be identified, was specifically excluded from the study.

6. There were no biological hypotheses tested in the study. It was therefore only a numbers game. Ignored were mechanisms of disease found in other studies of cell phone radiation effects, including genetic damage, blood-brain barrier leakage, and disrupted intercellular communication. The study did not discuss any research supporting the notion that cell phones could cause problems in users.

7.The study itself was inconsistent with cancer statistics published worldwide addressing the Danish population. This study showed a low risk of cancer overall, when in fact Denmark has some of the highest cancer rates in the world.

This inconsistency suggested that something in the data does not add up. The cell phone industry constantly guards its financial interests, but unfortunately, an unwitting public can be harmed in the process, says Dr. Carlo. "Industry-funded studies in many cases now produce industry-desired outcomes. By tampering with the integrity of scientists, scientific systems and public information steps over the lines of propriety that are appropriate for protecting business interests especially when the casualty of the interference is public health and safety."

As most people would agree, operating a motor vehicle requires attention to avoid a catastrophe such as a crash. Obviously, there are numerous things that can distract a driver and create a potentially disastrous lapse in attention: retrieving an item that is dropped, holding a conversation with a passenger, or simply daydreaming while behind the wheel. Studies in the past 10 to 15 years however have consistently indicated that use of cell phones while driving is particularly risky. Undoubtedly, with well over 200 million cell phone users in the US alone risks are amplified based on frequency of use if nothing else.

Although initial studies probed issues related to the use of hand held devices which forced drivers to take their eyes off of the road while dialing, or use their hands to support the phone while talking, studies in more recent years have focused on examining the effects of distraction caused simply by talking on cell phones; even in the case of hands-free devices. The results of most of these studies concluded that although hands-free phones reduced the visual and mechanical distraction, the "cognitive" distraction of simply being involved in the cell phone conversation was still present and was more critical in impairing driver performance. Thus, switching to a hands-free device does not appear to reduce the risk of accident.

The benefits of having a cell phone available when driving is not in question. Cell phones have proven their utility in countless situations where emergencies have arisen. Safety issues instead center on how these devices can be safely and responsibly used by drivers. It is not the intent of this brief article to review the multitude of studies conducted but instead, to simply offer a few suggestions on how to reduce driving risks related to cell phone use. Obviously, merely switching to a hands-free device is not the all encompassing answer. For those cell phone user's who rely on their driving time to conduct business by telephone or to hold conversations with family members and friends who are always on the go, the answers may seem discouraging at first glance but when considered in light of the possible risk of life are rather minimal.

1.Turn off your cell phone while driving. This will eliminate any ringing which can be distracting and will still allow callers to leave messages on voice mail for you to listen and respond to later.

2.If you don't feel you can turn your cell phone off during the time you are driving, there are common suggestions which can help reduce the risk of cell phone use when driving:

Pull off the road to place and receive calls.

Place your phone where it is convenient so that you don't have to search or reach across the car to retrieve it to answer calls.

Take only urgent calls. Calls of a routine nature should be ended by agreeing to call someone back at a better time.

As with any conversation while driving, avoid emotionally charged or lengthy discussions. These distract drivers more than brief, factual types of conversations.

Keep your eyes on the road; use speed dial or use your cell phone only for the purpose of receiving calls while you are driving.

Avoid taking notes, looking up numbers, checking messages, etc. which add to the distraction.

Let a passenger handle any calls

Cell phones continue to play an important role in our society and, in a number of instances, can do much to protect lives. However, like any significant distraction when driving, they can create potentially life-threatening situations. Drivers should carefully evaluate the risks to themselves and others when choosing to engage in any activity that takes away from the focus of operating a car. Responsible use of a cell phone when driving can possibly be the difference between life and death.

Article Source : Pg. 43

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Both Paul Fitzgerald & Christine Peppler are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.

Paul Fitzgerald has sinced written about articles on various topics from Marketing Tool, Massage and Environment. Educational Cell Phone Digital Book by Paul Fitzgerald, EMF expert, graduated from NJIT in Newark, NJ. He has been studying EMF's for over 15 y. Paul Fitzgerald's top article generates over 5000000 views. Bookmark Paul Fitzgerald to your Favourites.

Christine Peppler has sinced written about articles on various topics from Digital Camera, Entertainment Guide and Computers and The Internet. Christine Peppler writes extensively about cellular products on her homemedias.info website. To learn more about cell phones, cell phone plans, or. Christine Peppler's top article generates over 246000 views. Bookmark Christine Peppler to your Favourites.