'Health risk' associated with cell phones subject of bill

Nickel Belt MPP France Gélinas has introduced a private member's bill to educate Ontarians about the risks of cell phone radiation and to promote the safe use of cell phones.

The Cell Phone Safety Bill would require retailers to post radiation levels next to cell phones they sell.

“The Ontario government has acknowledged that cell phones pose a potential health risk—particularly for children—but has failed to communicate this to Ontarians,” Gélinas said.

“This bill will make sure that Ontarians have the information they need to use cellphones more safely.” 

The bill will also require cell phone manufactures to put a warning on cell phones indicating that long-term cell phone use may cause cancer, and that cell phones should be kept away from the head and body.

"I try to make the best choices for my daughter's health,” Jamie-Leigh Fairbrother, a Toronto mother of a nine-year-old, said in the press release. “Soon she will want a cell phone and I want to be able to make an informed decision. This Bill will allow me to do that."  

“Studies have shown an increase in several types of cancers amongst people who have used cell phones for ten years, Dr. Magda Havas, an associate professor of Environmental and Resource Studies at Trent University, said in the press release.

“A growing number of countries and health authorities have issued warnings about the dangers of cell phone use, particularly amongst children.”