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OTHER FUNCTIONS
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.
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 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.