Dr. Weeks’ Comment: wake up State of Maine – vote right and support the Children’s Wireless Protection Act
WHAT: Please write or call your Maine Legislators to support the Children’s Wireless Protection Act calling for a brain cancer warning label on all cell phones in the state of Maine. The bill has been passed out of committee and will be voted on by the legislature.
Now is the time for citizens of Maine to push their legislators to support this bill, so if you know people living in Maine, please pass this on to them.
A succinct 4 page summary of the public health risks posed by radiofrequency radiation exposure is available at www.electricalpollution.com on the Transmitting meter page.
Catherine
Please find below:
Details on the bill
Who to Contact
Sample Letter
Background Information
Guest Commentary by Maine Representative Andrea Boland
DETAILS:
Cell Phone Warning Bill HP 1207, LD 1706
http://www.mainelegislature.org/LawMakerWeb/summary.asp?ID=280035199
SUMMARY
This bill provides that a manufacturer may not sell at retail in this State, or to a retailer in this State or for use in this State a cellular telephone unless, at no cost to the Maine retailer or Maine distributor, the cellular telephone and its packaging bear a warning label relating to the potential for brain cancer associated with electromagnetic radiation of the form emitted from cellular telephones, with the recommendation that users, especially children and pregnant women, keep the device away from the head and body. A violation of this provision is a violation of the Maine Unfair Trade Practices Act.
http://www.mainelegislature.org/LawMakerWeb/summary.asp?ID=280035199
CONTACT:
Find your Representative – Maine
http://www.maine.gov/legis/house/townlist.htm
The general website for the legislature can be found at
http://www.maine.gov/legis/
SAMPLE LETTER:
TO: Your Representative or Senator
Dear Rep. **** or Sen. ****,
I am writing to ask that you vote in support of passage of the Cell Phone Warning Bill HP 1207, LD 1706.
It is essential that warnings are included on cellphones stating that there are potentially harmful effects of using a cellphone, particularly for pregnant women and children. Many people are totally unaware that there are significant findings of increased cancer (including glioma, cancer of a salivary gland near the ear called the parotid, and acoustic neuroma), potential developmental consequences for fetuses, and increased danger of the aforementioned cancers in children. All the data are not in, many important questions are not even being researched. Without this warning, people are participating unwittingly – therefore without consent- in one of the largest experiments ever conducted. There are sufficient findings detrimental effects including cancer, disturbed sleep, increased biological stress, and impaired immune function to name only a few that requiring a warning label on each phone sold is paramount.
Please help protect the health of the citizens of Maine and support passage of the Cell Phone Warning Bill HP 1207, LD 1706.
Sincerely,
Background (provided by Angela Flynn – thanks):
I attended the conference, Cell Phones and Health in Washington, DC in September 2009. At this conference, Michael Thun, the director of the American Cancer Society said that there is no tracking of non malignant brain tumors and therefore no way to monitor if they are increasing. He also said that there is an increase in brain tumors in women aged 20 – 29. Statistically brain tumors are now the leading cause of cancer death in children.
Experts point to research that indicates a link between cell phones and three types of tumors:
* Glioma
* Cancer of a salivary gland near the ear called the parotid
* Acoustic neuroma, which is a tumor found near the ear
Preliminary results of the multinational Interphone study sponsored by the International Agency for Research on Cancer, in Lyon, France. Interphone researchers reported in 2008 that after a decade of cell-phone use, the chance of getting a brain tumor””specifically on the side of the head where you use the phone””goes up as much as 40 percent for adults. Interphone researchers in Israel have found that cell phones can cause tumors of the parotid gland (the salivary gland in the cheek), and an independent study in Sweden last year concluded that people who started using a cell phone before the age of 20 were five times as likely to develop a brain tumor. Another Interphone study reported a nearly 300 percent increased risk of acoustic neuroma, a tumor of the acoustic nerve.
Cell phone use has been linked to other problems, including infertility, insomnia, hearing, and driving hazards.
Prominent neurosurgeons have stated they do not hold cell phones next to their ears.
“I use it on the speaker-phone mode,” said Dr. Vini Khurana, a prominent researcher and an associate professor of neurosurgery at the Australian National University.
“I do not hold it to my ear,” said Dr. Sanjay Gupta, a practicing neurosurgeon who also is CNN’s chief medical correspondent. Gupta says he uses an earpiece.
Some experts have not waited for the WHO or FDA to issue warnings. In 2009 Dr. Ronald Herberman, director emeritus of the University of Pittsburgh Cancer Center, sent a memo to all faculty and staff, warning them of possible danger and advising them to cut cell phone use.
While there may be no tracking of non malignant brain tumors, there is much anecdotal evidence and there are warnings from scientists, doctors and governmental agencies the world over that they are seeing an increase in brain tumors and other illnesses associated with cell phone and other wireless devices. As a child’s brain absorbs more of the radiofrequency radiation (RFR) than an adult’s brain does and as they face a longer life time cumulative exposure to this type of radiation it is especially imperative that they have a clear warning to limit their exposure to RFR.
Please find below links to an image of the RFR penetration into a child’s brain versus an adults and to the many worldwide warnings over RFR exposure and the ill health effects associated with this exposure.
RFR absorption in adult Vs child – http://www.devradavis.com/topic-cellphones_clip_image002.jpg
The following countries have issued warnings and precautionary measures regarding cell phones and children.
http://thepeoplesinitiative.org///Home_Page.html
Indian Government Urges Cautions for Children and Pregnant Women
Germany, Frankfurt – Bans WIFI in the Classroom in Fear of Health Effects…Bavarian Parliament Recommends the Same
Israel – No use in children under 12 years of age
Russia – General limitation; no use under 12 years
France – No long calls, no use under 16, banning of advertising to children under 12, mandatory earphones with all cell phones
Japan – General limitation under 18 years of age
United Kingdom – General limitation under 12 years of age
Toronto’s public health department has recommended children under eight should use a cell phone only in emergencies.
Health warnings for children and the use of WIFI in the classroom have also recently arisen out of Germany.
EMF resolutions signed by concerned scientists and medical doctors
Vienna Resolution 1998 www.emrnetwork.org/research/vienna.htm
Salzburg Austria Resolution 2000 www.salzburg.gv.at/salzburg_resolution_e.pdf
Freiburger Appeal 2002 www.laleva.cc/environment/freiburger_appeal.html
Catania Italy 2002 www.emrpolicy.org/faq/catania.pdf
Benevento Italy Resolution 2006 www.icems.eu/benevento_resolution.htm
Venice Italy Resolution 2008 www.icems.eu/resolution.htm
Porto Alegre Resolution 2009 www.icems.eu
The RFR standard in the U.S. only takes into account a short term thermal effect. Many countries have RFR standards that are much lower than the U.S standard as they allow for the non thermal effects.
Russia has RFR exposure limits that take into account the cumulative non thermal effect. They have determined that there is a threshold effect. Limited exposure to RFR may be beneficial, but at a certain point all future exposure becomes pathological. Many studies have found similar results and it is imperative that RFR exposure be of limited duration and that adequate recovery time in between exposures is factored in.
While RFR does not break DNA directly through ionization, there are other mechanisms by which it may cause DNA breakage as well as other mechanisms by which it may increase the risk of cancers. These are:
The magnetic fields in RFR have been shown to twist the polarity in our cell membranes. This interferes with the cell function.
RFR has been shown to alter brain waves which interferes with our sleep patterns which leads to lower melatonin levels which is associated with higher incidents of cancer.
The resonance of RFR has been shown to knock calcium ions off of the cell membrane. Again interfering with cellular function.
RFR has been shown to interfere with the recombining of DNA resulting in more double strand breaks, again associated with higher incidents of cancer.
RFR opens the blood brain barrier which allows toxins into the brain.
RFR causes a stress response wich leads to a weakened ability to heal from and to ward of diseases.
Please refer to the following report for more on the biological effects from RFR exposure:
2008 MOBILE TELEPHONY RADIATION EFFECTS ON LIVING ORGANISMS
Dimitris J. Panagopoulos* and Lukas H. Margaritis
Department of Cell Biology and Biophysics, Faculty of Biology, University of Athens, Panepistimiopolis, 15784, Athens, Greece
http://kyttariki.biol.uoa.gr/EMR-GROUP/Panagopoulos-Margaritis-review-2008.pdf
Abstract
A number of serious non thermal biological effects, ranging from changes in cellular function like proliferation rate changes or gene expression changes to cell death induction, decrease in the rate of melatonin production and changes in electroencephalogram patterns in humans, population declinations of birds and insects, and small but statistically significant increases of certain types of cancer, are attributed in our days to the radiations emitted by mobile telephony antennas of both handsets and base stations. This chapter reviews briefly the most important experimental, clinical and statistical findings and presents more extensively a series of experiments, concerning cell death induction on a model biological system….
Conclusion
…Digital mobile telephony radiations nowadays exert an intense biological action able to kill cells, damage DNA, or decrease dramatically the reproductive capacity of living organisms. Diminishes of bird and insect populations can be explained according to reproduction decreases. Phenomena like headaches, fatigue, sleep disturbances, memory loss e.t.c. reported as “microwave syndrome” can possibly be explained by cell death on a number of brain cells during daily exposures from mobile telephony antennas…
…Scientific evidence implies the need of reconsideration of the current exposure criteria to account for non-thermal effects which constitute the large majority of the recorded biological and health effects. Since Mobile Telephony has become part of our daily life, a better design of base station antenna networks towards the least exposure of residential areas and a very cautious use of mobile phones, is necessary.
Again, I sincerely thank you for considering this important bill. Its passage will be a very important first step in providing protection for the American people.
Angela Flynn
5309 Iroquois Road
Bethesda, MD 20816
301-229-0282
angelaflynn80@msn.com