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You may not stick cigarettes in your mouth, and even if you do you know the risks – but most people stick a cell phone up to their ear and don’t give it a second thought.
Stan Glantz, professor of medicine at the University of California at San Francisco, UCSF, and director of the Centre for Tobacco Research and Education, compares what is happening with cell phones to what happened with cigarettes in the 1950’s.
“There was enough evidence to be concerned [about cigarettes in the 1950s], but the details were not really nailed,” Glantz said. “Cell phone companies have learned from cigarette companies how to contest science, and they’re doing it.”
Sneaky but …………….
Things are a-changing but the road is as steep and fraught as it was the tobacco battle. Court cases are emerging and being won. We are 10years plus into the use of cellphones and people are now suffering the health effects. Cancers are growing in heads and ears where cellphones have been used daily.
But unlike cigarettes, which don’t have any function beyond pleasure or maybe calming the nerves, cellphones have become an important part of everyday living and communication. Living without a cigarette is one thing; living without cellphones is something else altogether.
Banning or putting limitations on tobacco can and is being done, but it is hardly a possibility with cellphones and their use – so…………….
We need to think hard and long about the situation.
A 2012 survey conducted by Erik Peper, , Ph.D., professor of holistic health at San Francisco State University revealed that the average college student uses their cell phone and tablet/iPad for at least 118 minutes per day, including 40 minutes right before they go to sleep. This equates to 19.7 days per year of talking and texting on their smartphones.
That is a lot of radiation! And they hopefully have a lot of years ahead to continue using their phones and devices. So long may the cellphones companies and providers be called to task and make their products and services safe but in the meantime we need to EDUCATE responsible use and precaution.
Switch off cellphones at night or put onto airplane mode. Never-oh-never have them switched on beside your bed at night. Switch off the Wi-Fi when not in use. Switch off computers and tablets especially in the bedroom at night. And use protection – have a look at what we recommend……..
Be responsible and be aware that there are dangers with cell phone use – and please, please pass the information on to your kids. No scare tactics – just information, precaution and common sense!
