The wireless industry received some reprieve from the barrage of negative attention mobile phones have encountered in recent months after findings in the Stewart Report, officially released by the British government last week, suggested that people who use mobile phones were more of a risk to human health than the phones themselves.
A 12-member committee, chaired by former chief scientist to the Cabinet Office William Stewart, compiled the government-commissioned report, which claimed there is no link between mobile phones and poor health, and went on to say the only actual evidence found that mobile phones are hazardous to health were indirect effects.
“There is evidence that using a mobile phone whilst driving can increase the risk of accidents,” said the report. “Also some people’s well being may be adversely affected by the environmental impact of mobile phone base stations sited near their homes, schools or other buildings, as well as by their fear of perceived direct effects.”
The report concluded that radiation emitted by mobile phones has a biological impact on the brain, however, this does not necessarily mean health is impacted.
“There is now scientific evidence which suggests that there may be biological effects occurring below (U.K.) guidelines,” the report states, but adds, “It is not possible to say that exposure to radio-frequency radiation, even at levels below national guidelines, is totally without potential adverse effects.”
The authors of the Stewart Report recommended that widespread use of mobile phones for nonessential calls by children under the age of 16 should be limited. According to the report, children are more susceptible to the radiation because their skulls are thinner and their cell growth and brain-wave activity are still unstable.
Tom Wheeler, president and chief executive officer of the Cellular Telecommunications Industry Association, said in an official response to the report: “Government agencies in the U.S., Canada and Great Britain, as well as others, are unanimous in stating that the weight of scientific research shows there are no adverse health effects from the use of wireless phones.”
He reiterated that the industry committed $25 million for a five-year, independent research program in 1993, and currently is working with the Food and Drug Administration to conduct follow-up experiments.
The British government has said it will address the recommendations in the report. According to The Financial Times, Professor Liam Donaldson, the government’s chief medical officer, will be asked to look at restrictions in regards to age, length and number of calls.
The newspaper also suggested that the government withheld findings of the report until the Universal Mobile Telecommunications System license auction concluded, keeping potentially damaging information from affecting the value of the licenses, which netted billions of dollars for the U.K. government.
