UC Berkeley Center for Family and Community Health

India adopts the U.S. cell phone radiation standard, issues health warnings and requires safety precautions in user manuals. Local and state governments in the U.S. should issue precautionary health warnings now to protect cell phone users.

Samsung adopted an innovative antenna system in 2006 to "enhance handset safety by radiating most of the transmitted RF energy away from the handset user" and improve RF (radio frequency) performance. Why haven't more manufacturers followed suit?

A "cell phone right to know" bill was just introduced in the Congress, and the City and County of San Francisco will defend its "cell phone right to know" ordinance against a CTIA lawsuit in a federal appeals court.

Research studies find that children exposed before birth to high levels of magnetic fields from common household appliances are at increased risk of becoming overweight or obese and developing asthma.

Unlike the U.S. radiofrequency standards that regulate cell phones, the Russian standards are based on the precautionary principle. Moreover, they are designed to protect the public from all risks due to cell phone radiation, not just from heating.

Scientists from the Environmental Working Group publish a review of 10 studies that found cell phone radiation damages sperm.

More research on cell phone radiation is needed before we replace our outdated guidelines. In the interim the US should disseminate precautionary health warnings. A $1 annual fee per cell phone would generate $300 million for research and education.

San Francisco recently updated its web site to include precautionary health warnings about cell phone radiation. Other cities throughout the nation may wish to adopt this strategy to educate their citizens about cell phone safety.