cells phones and your health

According to a six-year British study, cellphones have no short-term adverse health effects. Unfortunately the report couldn't make any conclusions for longer-term exposure since studies so far have only included a limited number of participants who have used their cellphones for 10 years or more. That's not too surprising since cell phones haven't been around all that long--particularly the small ones that get pressed directly against our noggins.

The Mobile Telecommunications and Health Research Program said in its 2007 Report that it found no association between short-term cellphone use and brain cancer, said study leader Lawrie Challis, Emeritus Professor of Physics at The University of Nottingham in England. In addition, studies on volunteers also showed no evidence that brain function was affected by cellphone signals.

"The results are so far reassuring but there is still a need for more research, especially to check that no effects emerge from longer-term phone use from adults and from use by children," Challis said in a statement.

And here's a complete shocker: the study also confirmed that cellphone use while driving, whether hand-held or hands-free, causes impairment in performance. Duh! Most people can't chew gum and walk in a straight line. As a species, global warming takes a back seat to cell phone use in cars as our most direct threat.

While the jury is still out on long term use, I find this study comforting. I gave up my land line almost 4 years ago and have been on cell phones only since then. And since I often use mine for quite extended amounts of time--just last week I had a call that was over 9 hours long--hearing that brain cancer isn't a risk is good.