UK Children Shrug Off Mobile Phone Health Warnings
Reuters
June 29, 2001

British children use their mobile phones for up to 45 minutes every day, shrugging off warnings of the unknown effects of radiation, a report published today showed.

The Sheffield Hallam University report showed that of 941 16-year-olds surveyed,77 percent used their phone for less than 15 minutes every day -- but only 11 percent believed they had been affected by radiation.

A spokeswoman at the Pupil Research Initiative, who carried out the survey, said the findings were not surprising.

"They are an integral part of (children's) lives. They send hundreds of text messages every day," she said.

A report published after a government-sponsored scientific enquiry last May urged parents to curb children's mobile phone use and promised tougher rules for transmitter masts as a precaution against potential health risks from radiation.