Do You Need to Keep Your Child Away from Cell Phones?

UPI reveals that people living in Canada are receiving warnings from the Toronto Public Health department to limit the amount of time their children spend on the cell phones, due to increasing health concerns.

UPI also reveals that there was a report issued from the medical officer of health in Toronto, who is warning that pre-adolescent children, especially, should use land lines whenever they possibly can and only use their cell phones when it is essential to do so or when it involves an emergency. Canadians are also being advised to encourage their children to use hands free options and headsets whenever they can, as these techniques issue less of a health risk.

The UPI article goes on to reveal that a report in the Toronto Star said that the health agency is strongly suggesting that children should be protected from the possibly unhealthy radio frequencies which come through cell phones.

A Toronto Public Health supervisor, Loren Vanderlinden, points out that while no one really took the risk of radio frequencies, especially as they affect children, very seriously a few years ago, more and more studies are now showing a link between some kinds of brain tumors and an extended use of cell phones and mobile devices. Children are particularly susceptible, particular those who have not yet reached adolescence.

Not so surprisingly, professionals in the cell phone and wireless industry insist that these devices are completely safe.

According to UP, Marc Choma, who is a spokesperson for the Canadian Wireless Telecommunications Association, went so far as to say that “the state of the science is that there are no health effects.”

Be that as it may, health officials in Canada – and an increasing number of them in the United States – are suggesting that children beneath the ages of 14 or 15 should be limited in the amount of time they use cell phones. In addition to exercising hands free options, parents are also advised to encourage their children to use text messaging services.

(July 14, 2008)