What to Think About the WHO Report Linking Cell Phones and Cancer (ATT, rant)

[stonecypher5413]

"An international panel of experts from the International Agency for Research on Cancer — part of the World Health Organization (WHO) — issued a report today saying cellphones are possibly carcinogenic to humans. This after experts reviewed details from dozens of published studies."

So, are you worried?

Cell Phones and Cancer Risk — What To Think of WHO Report « Touching Base (http://newsblog.barnesjewish.org/2011/05/31/cell-phones-and-cancer-risk-what-to-think-of-who-report/ - broken link)

Same category as COFFEE??? I'm really screwed...

[gvillager]

There simply isn't enough information provided to have an opinion. It's a no brainer that cell phone use increases the risk of cancer. I'd like to see some statistics. If the odds of getting cancer are about the same as dying in a car accident I'll continue to use my phone just like I continue to drive my car.

[Motion]

This is more about how you use a cell phone. What they seem to be saying is that the risk of cancer can be higher if you use the phone in the traditional way of holding it to your head. I've gotten into the habit of using my speaker phone setting more often to avoid placing it to my head. You can also consider using a head set and texting more. Again avoid placing the phone to your head.

[Icy Tea]

This is your brain. This is your brain on cell phones. Any questions?
Seriously, people still smoke cigarettes and eat junk food. I might not mind seeing cell phone use banned in indoor public places though.....

[dspguy]

We are talking about something that:
- a little bit of common sense would tell you "this increases your chance of cancer."
- has become socially acceptable to use everywhere you go (the office, in your car, at the park, restaurants).
- nearly everyone is addicted to.
- that makes big money for corporations who will fight to play down the severity of its use.
- that adds pollution.

Wait? Oh! I thought this was 1970 and we were talking about cigarettes. My fault...

[pvande55]

Use a headset so the transmitter is away from your head. There's always tinfoil. (Apologies to the Politics and Other Controversies forum).

[DowntownHarrisburg]

As someone who has been burning through a few thousand minutes every month since 1997, I am intrigued ... but not concerned.

[Lancet71]

How about using speaker phone and not holding it up to your ear.

[atlantagreg30127]

I'm not sure how it could NOT cause Cancer or other problems with heavy enough use due to the simple nature of how they work and acquire signals. I'm not sure why it's even debated, to be honest. The real issue, is HOW MUCH exposure do you have to have before it starts to do the damage?

Cell phones haven't been around that long, and the average person's "addiction" to it (and it's getting rampant) has only been going on a few years. So honestly I think it's going to be a while before they understand just how much and for how many years it takes to do damage. Right now, the damage is more social than anything, since so many people use their phones during very inappropriate times (driving, etc). Decades from now however, the damage could be to the healthcare system as people possibly start lining up for brain cancer/tumor treatments (if some theories are correct).

I'm not worried, myself. I literally use less than 100 minutes of talk time per month (yes - PER MONTH), and less than a block of 250 texts. Any calls I do make are usually always under 5 minutes. But I will say this - I do know two people who use cell phones (calls) excessively... both of these people probably exceed 1300+ minutes per month of calls. Their phones are always up against their heads. Well, over the course of the last 6-7 years, I've watch both of these people become noticeably more absent-minded, scatter brained, and well, just plain "duh" at times; and both of them were once tack-sharp people... before they started living on their phones. Now that's hardly a scientific observation, but two bright people with near genius IQs who could remember what they ate for breakfast a year earlier, start using cell phones for hours a day, and five years later both of them can barely remember if they wiped or not the last time they left the bathroom. Coincidence? Hmmmmmm

Argue about it as much as you want. My opinion, is that if you use cell phones a good deal, that you do so using a corded or bluetooth headset, speakerphone, etc.