For Your Safety 186
9. What steps can I take to reduce my exposure to Radio
Frequency energy from my wireless device?
If there is a risk from these products — and at this point we do not know that
there is — it is probably very small. But if you are concerned about avoiding even
potential risks, you can take a few simple steps to minimize your exposure to Radio
Frequency (RF) energy. Since time is a key factor in how much exposure a person
receives, reducing the amount of time spent using a wireless device will reduce RF
exposure. If you must conduct extended conversations by wireless device every
day, you could place more distance between your body and the source of the RF,
since the exposure level drops off dramatically with distance. For example, you
could use a headset and carry the wireless device away from your body or use a
wireless device connected to a remote antenna. Again, the scientific data does not
demonstrate that wireless devices are harmful. But if you are concerned about the
RF exposure from these products, you can use measures like those described above
to reduce your RF exposure from wireless device use.
10. What about children using wireless devices?
The scientific evidence does not show a danger to users of wireless devices,
including children and teenagers. If you want to take steps to lower exposure
to Radio Frequency (RF) energy, the measures described above would apply to
children and teenagers using wireless devices. Reducing the time of wireless
device use and increasing the distance between the user and the RF source will
reduce RF exposure. Some groups sponsored by other national governments have
advised that children be discouraged from using wireless devices at all. For example,
the government in the United Kingdom distributed leaflets containing such a
recommendation in December 2000.
They noted that no evidence exists that using a wireless device causes brain tumors
or other ill effects. Their recommendation to limit wireless device use by children
was strictly precautionary; it was not based on scientific evidence that any health
hazard exists.
