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FDA CONSUMER UPDATE
If you want to take steps to lower exposure to radiofre-
quency energy (RF), the measures described above
would apply to children and teenagers using wireless
phones. Reducing the time of wireless phone use and
increasing the distance between the user and the RF
source will reduce RF exposure. Some groups spon-
sored by other national governments have advised
that children be discouraged from using wireless
phones at all. For example, the government in the
United Kingdom distributed leaflets containing such a
recommendation in December 2000. They noted that
no evidence exists that us-ing a wireless phone caus-
es brain tumors or other ill effects. Their recommenda-
tion to limit wireless phone use by children was strict-
ly precautionary; it was not based on scientific evi-
dence that any health hazard exists.
11. What about wireless phone interference with
medical equipment?
Radiofrequency energy (RF) from wireless phones can
interact with some electronic devices. For this reason,
FDA helped develop a detailed test method to measure
electromagnetic interference (EMI) of implanted car-
diac pacemakers and defibrillators from wireless tele-
phones. This test method is now part of a standard
sponsored by the Association for the Advancement of
Medical instrumentation (AAMI). The final draft, a joint
effort by FDA, medical device manufacturers, and
many other groups, was completed in late 2000. This
standard will allow manufacturers to ensure that car-
diac pacemakers and defibrillators are safe from wire-
less phone EMI.
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FDA CONSUMER UPDATE
9. What steps can I take to reduce my exposure to
radiofrequency energy from my wireless phone?
If there is a risk from these products—and at this
point we do not know that there is—it is probably very
small. But if you are concerned about avoiding even
potential risks, you can take a few simple steps to
minimize your exposure to radiofrequency energy
(RF). Since time is a key factor in how much exposure
a person receives, reducing the amount of time spent
using a wireless phone will reduce RF exposure.
• If you must conduct extended conversations by
wireless phone every day, you could place more
distance between your body and the source of the
RF, since the exposure level drops off dramatically
with distance. For example, you could use a headset
and carry the wireless phone away from your body
or use a wireless phone connected to a remote
antenna.
Again, the scientific data do not demonstrate that
wireless phones are harmful. But if you are concerned
about the RF exposure from these products, you can
use measures like those described above to reduce
your RF exposure from wireless phone use.
10. What about children using wireless phones?
The scientific evidence does not show a danger to
users of wireless phones, including children and
teenagers.
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