Health Officials Warn That Cell Phones Pose Risk Of Cancer & Infertility

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The California Department of Public Health has released advice to minimize cell phone radiation exposure

Their guidelines on cell phone exposure warn residents to keep their cell phone away from their body to reduce the risk of cancer and infertility.

There is already mounting evidence that cell phone use may be linked to cancer, attention, mental health and reproductive health issues.

The Connecticut Department of Public Health issued similar recommendations in May, 2015.

RT reports: The release follows a legal battle initiated by UC Berkeley researcher Joel Moskowitz last year after he discovered draft documents on the issue had existed since 2010 without being made available to the public.

The precautionary document, ‘How to reduce exposure to radio frequency energy from cell phones’ states that while the science is still evolving some studies have suggested a link between long-term mobile phone use and cancer.

Qualifying that these studies have not established a definitive relationship between the two, and that potential health risks from cell phones are still contentious among scientists, the health department states its advisory is for those concerned about the possible risks.

The main piece of advice issued by the authority is to keep the phone away from your body. “Keeping your phone just a few feet away from you can make a big difference,” it says.

This means using the speakerphone option or a headset instead of holding the phone up to your ear and keeping your mobile device in a backpack or handbag and not in a pocket.

The guidelines also warn against a common habit for those who also use their device as an alarm clock – sleeping next to your cell phone. Unless the phone is off or in airplane mode, keep it at least a few feet away from your bed, the guidelines recommend.

The report highlights that children could be at greater risk as their body is still developing and over their lifetime they will have a lot more exposure.

The release of the CDPH guidelines follows a ruling by the Sacramento Superior Court handed down in March. The state argued in court that the unofficial document would cause unnecessary panic, reported KAZU.

A draft document was initially released but these new guidelines offer a more detailed picture.

In July, the California Brain Tumor Association held a demonstration in Sacramento outside the CDPH building to call for the public release of the cell phone warning document.

CDPH director Dr Karen Smith said they released the guidelines because of a continued public interest in cell phone-related health risks and the decision had little to do with the court battle.

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