A new study has revealed that cell phones may eventually be responsible for more human deaths than smoking or asbestos. Dr. Khurana, who carried a 15-month critical review of the link between mobile phones and malignant brain tumor has concluded that using mobiles for more than a decade could more than double a person's risk of developing brain cancer.
Smoking kills some five million worldwide each year according to the World Health Organisation. But Khurana, who has based his findings on an analysis of over 100 researches on the effects of cell phones, said the radiation from mobiles could kill far more people than smoking. There are three times as many people globally who use mobiles regularly than there are regular smokers. This makes mobiles the # 1 menace to public health, warned Dr. Khurana and asked governments and mobile phone industry take immediate steps to curb and restrict use of
mobile phones.
While the news has not come as a surprise to many, considering that neurologists have been warning about the dangers of excessive cell phone use since years, this is the first time that any researcher has compared the dangers of mobile phone with dangers of smoking. The conclusions of the study have come as a shock to World Health Organization (WHO) which has for decades been battling hard to awaken people to hidden dangers of tobacco consumption. Now it has a much harder task at hand - convincing billions of people worldwide to give up or reduce use of cell phones, a task made more difficult by the ubiquity and usefulness of the cell phone.
But WHO has decided to take the battle head on and already instructed all countries to make it mandatory for cell phone manufacturers to inscribe statutory warning - "Using mobile phones is injurious to health" on the covering lids of the mobile phones.
Very soon 'No Mobile Phones' signs will become as ubiquitous as 'No Smoking' signs
Union minister of health, Dr Ramadoss, who ever since assuming office has taken up the cause of anti-smoking awareness with a missionary zeal, has announced that by the start of next year, all new cell phones will be required to compulsorily carry the prescribed health warning or face severe penalties in he event of default. He has also decided to ban all advertising relating to mobile phones. Starting form 1st July 2008, no cell phone manufacturer or mobile service provider will be allowed to advertise their products or services through any media.
From July this year, Hritik Roshan will be no longer jumping, leaping and dancing on your tele-screens to sell you sony ericsson phones
According to rumors, the minister is also planning to issue guidelines to the film and television industry to avoid showing scenes where the leading actors are shown talking on cell phones. The rumors say that censor board will be instructed to edit out all scenes where cell phones are used in non-emergency situations.
Meanwhile, reports emerging from United States say that mobile phone manufacturers are facing several lawsuits for not warning the consumers about the dangers of cell phone usage and also for the recovery of health costs that will be borne by American mobile phone users in future when the reported dangers of cell phone radiation will start manifesting in the form of brain cancer and tumors. According to reports, many state governments and NGO's working in the health sectors are planning to file lawsuits against mobile phone manufacturers worth several hundred billion dollars.
A lawsuit filed in Florida District court has alleged that mobile phone companies have conspired since early 90's to defraud and mislead American public and to conceal information about the effects of cell phone radiation. ''For more than 15 years, the cell phone companies conducted their business without regard to the truth, the law, or the health of the American people.'' said Attorney General McCollum
