Research has raised the possibility that cellphones pose a long-term risk on human health — and the California Department of Public Health is taking action.
Though California authorities say the science on cellphone risks to health is “still evolving,” the department issued new recommendations Dec. 13 to limit people’s exposure to the radio frequency energy that come from cellphones. These include everything from keeping your cellphone away from your body, limiting how much you use your it when there’s a weak signal and making sure you aren’t near your phone in bed at night.
Potential long-term risks that may come with high cellphone use are headaches, lower sperm counts, brain cancer and acoustic nerve tumors and more. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, though, maintains that scientific evidence proving cellphone use definitely causes cancer doesn’t exist.
Since 95 percent of Americans have a cellphone — not to mention that 12 percent use their phones to get onto the internet — it’s clear why concerns for both adults and children remain. On average, a child receives his or her first phone at 10 years old.
“Children’s brains develop through the teenage years and may be more affected by cellphone use,” California Department of Public Health director and state public health officer Dr. Karen Smith said in a statement. “Parents should consider reducing the time their children use cellphones and encourage them to turn the devices off at night.”
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California Releases Warning on Health Effects of Cellphone Use originally appeared on usnews.com
