Mobile Phones: Not So Useful
Indian Express
Journalist: Amrita Chaudhry
May 29, 2005
Memory
loss, Parkinson’s disease, impaired immunity, renal retardation and
congenital defects are just some ill-effects caused by use of, now
indispensable gizmo - mobile phone.
A
study conducted by the Consumer Association of Penang (CAP), Malaysia,
in association with the World Health Organisation (WHO) has found that
mobile phones emit microwave radiations which can actually fry the
brain. Children who are taking to mobile phones like fish to water are
at a greater risk for, radiations from mobile phones penetrate skull
and brain far deeper in children than adults, the study points out.
This
document, published by CAP, is based on studies carried in various
counteries like Britain, Sweden, Russia, the USA, Australia, Austria et
al. The major findings of the study include that people using mobile
phones are two-and-a-half times more prone to brain tumour, digital
phone users have been known to develop non-Hodgkin’s disease in the
lymph glands in neck, damage immune system and the DNA system of the
body, raise blood pressures, cause Alzhmeimer, multiple sclerosis and
Parkinson’s disease, decrease sex drive, headaches, diziness and
concentration lapses are some of the other diseases to which mobile
phone users, even with mediocre usage, are prone to.
The
study says that mobile phones emit a low-level microwave radiation.
More startling is the fact that even if one is within 200 metre of a
mobile phone tower, it can be associated with an increased risk of a
range of cancers and miscarriage, and also a higher risk of sleep
disturbances and chronic fatigue which may lead to difficulties in
learning.
Children are especially more vulnerable because of their developing nervous system.
The
study suggests that it is the duty of the government to regulate the
ill-effects caused by the increasing use of mobile phones. It also
suggests formation of a task force to monitor the situation. It should
be the responsibility of the government to see that children are not
allowed to use mobile phones and that cell sites should be thoroughly
checked while the towers are being erected, the report states. The
report has a made a strong recommendation that cell sites should not be
erected in residential areas or anywhere close to schools.
The
report states that there would be 1.6 billion mobile phone users
worldwide by 2005. Keeping in mind the ill-effects of the use of mobile
phones, the WHO has initiated studies in 10 nations.
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