How do you feel about the idea of the provincial government educating residents about the possible risks cell-phone radiation pose to our health? If you live on the U.S. side of the border, what, if any policies do your governments have in place for addressing health concerns over cell phones?
Share your comments below the following November 3 media release from the Ontario NDP, introducing a private member’s bill that would require government to informing the public of the potential health risks posed by cell-phone radiation.
Remember that NAL only posts commentary by people willing to share their full and real names.
A Media Release from Ontario’s NDP Government On Cell Phone Safety
Queen’s Park – France Gélinas, MPP for Nickel Belt and NDP Health Promotion Critic today introduced a Private Member’s Bill to educate Ontarians about the risks of cell phone radiation and to promote the safe use of cell phones.
Ontario NDP health critic France Gelinas
“The Ontario government has acknowledged that cell phones pose a potential health risk—particularly for children—but has failed to communicate this to Ontarians,” said Gélinas. “This bill will make sure that Ontarians have the information they need to use cellphones more safely.”
The Cell Phone Safety Bill would require retailers to post radiation levels next to cell phones they sell.
“I try to make the best choices for my daughter’s health,” said Jamie-Leigh Fairbrother, a Toronto mother of a nine-year-old. “Soon she will want a cell phone and I want to be able to make an informed decision. This Bill will allow me to do that.”
The Bill will also require cell phone manufactures to put a warning on cell phones indicating that long-term cell phone use may cause cancer, and that cell phones should be kept away from the head and body.
“Studies have shown an increase in several types of cancers amongst people who have used cell phones for ten years, said Dr. Magda Havas, an Associate Professor of Environmental and Resource Studies at Trent University. “A growing number of countries and health authorities have issued warnings about the dangers of cell phone use, particularly amongst children.”
Quotes
“There is emerging evidence that long-term frequent use of cellphones may be associated with an increased risk of tumours on the side the head where the cellphone is used.”
– Ontario Agency for Health Protection and Promotion, September 16, 2010
“Toronto Public Health is recommending that children, especially pre-adolescent children, use landlines whenever possible, keeping the use of cell phones for essential purposes only, limiting the length of cell phone calls and using headsets or hands-free options, wherever possible.”
– Dr. David McKeown, City of Toronto Medical Officer of Health, May 29, 2008
(Visit Niagara At Large at www.niagaraatlarge.com for more news and commentary of interest and concern to residents in our greater binational Niagara region.)
Niagara At Large 
This is completely crazy. The energy levels of cellphones are well below the level that can actually cause any ionization. There is no credible science which says otherwise. The Trent faculty member who is pushing the cellphone danger story has no research published in the peer reviewed literature to back up her claims.
There are lots of things we should be concerned about with respect to public health, such as factory emissions, car pollution and the like. Talking on cellphones while driving as well. However, cellphone radiation is a bogus issue.
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This sure sounds like a reasonable suggestion to me, and in a sane world all three parties would co-operate to make this a law in Ontario.
But I fear that it will fall prey to the usual partisan wrangling, in the same way that Olivia Chow’s recent private member’s bill in Parliament did… the one giving shop owners the right to legally detain thieves without being charged.
The Conservatives loved the bill, but since they didn’t introduce it themselves, they simply arranged for it to go nowhere.
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