Cell Phones Compared to Cigarettes

Dr David Carpenter is the Director for the Institute for Health and the Environment at the University of Albany.

When asked by a reporter why he is concerned about cell phone usage, he states:

" There has been a fair amount of research on this subject that has come out over the last several of years. But the evidence is growing."

"It still isn't absolutely proven. But when you use a cell phone the radio frequency is the same kind of radiofrequency that drives your micro wave oven. That will cook your potato."

"Now our standards are set to avoid excesive heating, as you would have in a microwave oven."

"But results from Scandinavia, particularly, and also a new study from Israel, show that people that use cell phones regularly, for 10 years or more, are more likely to get brain tumors, tumors of the poratid gland, salivary gland, that's on the side of the face, or tumors of the auditory nerve than people that do not use cell phones."

The reporter asked him "Are we looking potentially at an epidemic of brain cancer?"

Dr. Carpenter replies, "Precisely. That's what our concern is."

"Dr. Carpenter says, " An rather than repeat the dangers that we..... the problems that we had with smoking and lung cancer. We feel... those of us in the public health community, that at least we need to send the message out now."

"You can't walk down the street without seeing every 10 year old on their cell phone. It's a status symbole. It's something that's cool. And kids are spending enormous times on cell phones."

"The childs brain.... their brain is developing, but also, their brain is smaller, and therefore the exposure to a child's brain is greater than that in an adults brain."

Dr Carpenter suggests:

• That you use a land line when ever possible.


• Hold the cell phone away from your body.


• Don't use cell phones when you can use a land line.


• Respect the fact that radio frequencies may cause very serious diseases.