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9. What steps can I take to reduce my exposure to radiofrequency energy
from my wireless phone?
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 radiofrequency energy (RF). Since time is a key factor in how
much exposure a person receives, reducing the amount of time spent using
a wireless phone will reduce RF exposure.
If you must conduct extended conversations by wireless phone 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 phone away
from your body or use a wireless phone connected to a remote antenna.
Again, the scientific data do not demonstrate that wireless phones 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 phone use.
10. What about children using wireless phones?
The scientific evidence does not show a danger to users of wireless phones,
including children and teenagers. to take steps to lower exposure to
radiofrequency energy (RF), the measures described above would apply
to children and teenagers using wireless phones. Reducing the time of
wireless phone 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 phones 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 phone causes brain
tumors or other ill effects. Their recommendation to limit wireless phone
use by children was strictly precautionary; it was not based on scientific
evidence that any health hazard exists.
194 Appendix
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