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What steps can I take to reduce my exposure to
radio frequency 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 radio frequency 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.
What about children using wireless phones?
The scientific evidence does not show a danger to users of wireless
phones, including children and teenagers. If you want to take steps to
lower exposure to radio frequency 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
