OTTAWA – Health Canada’s suggestion this week that parents should limit their children’s time spent talking on cellphones is just that, a suggestion. And for the Canadian Wireless Telecommunications Association (CWTA), that means its business as usual.
Noting that Health Canada, in addition to global public safety agencies, maintain that there is no conclusive evidence that using cell phones at the prescribed safety levels has any adverse health effects for adults or children, CWTA spokesperson Marc Choma told Cartt.ca that “the role of the industry remains unchanged”.
“Any wireless device sold in Canada must comply with all safety standards set forth and enforced by Industry Canada”, he wrote in an emailed response. “As such, all wireless devices sold in Canada are deemed to be safe by the federal government.”
Health Canada’s new advice comes in response to a World Health Organization report issued in May suggesting that exposure to radiofrequency electromagnetic fields, such as those emitted by wireless phones, offers an increased risk for a malignant type of brain cancer. The same type of radiation is also given off by AM-FM radios and TV broadcast signals.
While reminding cell phone users that they may reduce their RF exposure by limiting the length of their mobile calls, using hands-free devices, or replacing calls with text messages, the department also acknowledged that “there is currently a lack of scientific information regarding the potential health impacts of cell phones on children” and recommended more research.
Choma said that the CWTA agrees with the call for more research into the matter.
“The industry has always supported any calls for continued research that is deemed necessary by the international scientific community”, he added.
– Lesley Hunter
