Dec212009
Maine eyes cancer warnings on cell phones
Filed under Medicine by david brooks at 3:07 pm
Actually, one Maine legislator wants the state to require cell phones to carry warnings that they might cause brain cancer, reports the Portland Press-Herald.
The article does a good job emphasizing the fact that the issue has been studied fairly well and has found no danger. To reduce it to sayings/cliches, we have “better safe than sorry” vs. “the boy who cried wolf.” I side with the latter; there are enough real worries in life not to clutter it up with very very very very unlikely possiblities.
What I’d really like to do is bribe a research office to fake a study saying that using a cell phone while driving caused a five-bazillion-percent increase in brain tumors. That would be science serving society.
December 21st, 2009 at 7:20 pm
Hey Dave,
I recall seeing a university study claiming that the use of cell phones WHILE driving was responsible for a significant portion of the increase in American productivity over the last decade. Can we be in support of both highway safety AND a growing economy at the same time?
- Dimitri
December 22nd, 2009 at 7:55 am
Until there is scientific evidence Cell Phones increase cancer risk I think it is inappropriate to force manufactures to include a health warning about possible effects. That sets a dangerous precedent.
I find it curious folks are so worried about cancer risk but pretty much ignore well documented risk of using a cell phone while driving. Guess the C word is scarier then getting splattered over the highway.
December 22nd, 2009 at 7:59 am
If true it is not just about safety but the amount of time Americans spend at work. Seems reasonable if people work more hours productivity goes up.
The bad news is wages used to track productivity. But since the 1980's we have seen a massive increase in productivity while wages (in real terms) have remained flat. Most of us are working more for less.
/tom
December 22nd, 2009 at 9:00 am
I think it's that they believe they can control the driving-safely thing, but can't control the “invisible waves are frying my brain” thing.
It's the same thinking behind people complaining about pollution from a factory while smoking cigarettes.
December 23rd, 2009 at 3:25 am
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December 23rd, 2009 at 3:07 pm
I have a friend who is a neurosurgeon and he adamantly requests that people seriously look into the high rise in brain cancers. 25 year studies are proving they are dangerous. As an option, I think everyone should be hands-free or on a speaker type phone. keep those EMF's away from your head.