Press Release
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Press Contact:
Steve Keyser
415-686-0668
[email protected]
Are Cell Phones Safe? How Teens Can Avoid Risk
Sunday, January 17
1:30 PM
San Francisco Library, Koret Auditorium, 100 Larkin Street
Sponsors: City and County of San Francisco’s Environment Department, the Main Library Stegner Environmental Center, California Endowment, International Commission for Electromagnetic Safety, Environmental Health Trust, Teens Turning Green, California Brain Tumor Association, Healthy 880 Communities – San Leandro, San Leandro High School Social Justice Academy, and Environmental Working Group
Are cell phones safe? Why do some nations advise that children not use cell phones? Growing numbers of scientific reports find that heavy users of cell phones face increased risks of brain tumors, reduced sperm count and other serious health problems.
Devra L. Davis, PhD, MPH, will be the featured speaker on Sunday, January 17th at 1:30 pm, at the workshop Are Cell Phones Safe? How Teens Can Avoid Risk. This forum will be held at the San Francisco Main Library, Grove Street Entrance in San Francisco, California.
A new video, “Cell Phones: Just Like Cigarettes?” will be premiered at this workshop. Teens Turning Green, a national environmental health organization, will moderate a high participation event that will involve students from San Leandro High School’s Social Justice Academy, and from other bay area schools. Major financial support for the film project was provided by a grant from the California Endowment.
Dr. Davis, a Professor in Preventive Medicine at Mount Sinai Medical Center and founder of The Environmental Health Trust, is “deeply concerned about troubling findings of serious health problems from cell phone use in countries where cell phones have been used for a longer period of time. Many governments, including Finland, Israel, Russia, China, France, Sweden and India recommend that children simply not use cell phones.”
Event organizer Elizabeth Kelley, who directs the International Commission for Electromagnetic Safety, points out that the Dr. Jacqueline McGlade, Director of the European Environmental Agency, has issued advisories recommending reduced exposure to cell phones, “especially children and young adults who seem to be most at risk from head tumors.” Kelley says, “we want teens to take away the message that cell phones emit radiation that can pose health risks, especially to developing brains and bodies, and, teens can protect themselves by limiting use, texting not talking, using a headset, turning them off when not in use and saving longer conversations for their landlines.”
Last September, Dr. Davis testified about the urgent need to adopt precautionary cell phone policies and to initiate a major cell phone safety research program before a key U.S. Senate Committee, along with scientists from Israel, Finland and the Environmental Working Group in the United States. A scientist from EWG presented a newly released report that compares the Specific Absorption Rates of cell phones manufactured in the U.S. and advises consumers to purchase cell phones that transmit at lower power. U.S. Senators say they will be holding more hearings.
Dr. Renee Sharp, who directs EWG’s California office said, “Until scientists know more about cell phone radiation, we think it is smart for consumers to buy phones with the lowest emissions.” Dr. Sharp will present EWG’s report at this workshop. Furthermore, one should consider not just the health risks linked with cell phones, but also the privacy concerns. You could click here and learn more about phone safety and other topics related to it.
Mayor Gavin Newsom has announced plans to introduce legislation that would require retailers in San Francisco to post information on Specific Absorption Rates, or SARs, wherever cell phones are sold in the city.
For more information and to register for the event, see http://teencellphonesafety.eventbrite.com
Enter access code: “teensBsafe”
Electronic RSVPs are advised, as space is limited for this free public event.
We will be repeat the program on January 19th at 7:00 p.m. at Marin Academy in San Rafael.
See www.teensturninggreen.org for more information about that 2nd event and www.environmentalhealthtrust.org and www.icems.eu for extensive scientific background documentation.
Dr. Devra L. Davis and Elizabeth Kelley are available for interviews.
