Might Mobile Phones Kill More People Than Smoking Or Asbestos?

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Main Category: Neurology / Neuroscience
Also Included In: IT / Internet / E-mail;  Cancer / Oncology;  Public Health
Article Date: 01 Apr 2008 - 11:00 PST

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A new study reveals that mobile phones (cell phones) may eventually be responsible for more human deaths than smoking or asbestos. Dr. Vini Khurana, an award-winning cancer expert (14 awards) from Australia, has published some grim study results. Khurana added that government and mobile phone companies should do whatever they can to immediately reduce people's exposure to radiation.

Khurana, who carried a 15-month critical review of the link between mobile phones and malignant brain tumors, said using mobiles for more than a decade could more than double a person's risk of developing brain cancer. He added that a 'solid scientific study' needs to be carried out on people who have been regular heavy users of mobiles for at least ten years.

Many say mobile phones have not been around long enough for us to make any firm conclusions about their safety. As most tumors (cancers) take about ten years to develop it has been hard to conclude one way or the other. However, we are now reaching a time when certain studies may soon give us some more compelling pointers.

Even so, as a result of previous studies, governments around the world have started telling their people to keep mobile phone usage down to a minimum. The French government has told its children not to use them, while the German government has told its citizens to use them as little as possible. Even the European Environment Agency has advised people to keep exposure down to a minimum.

While Khurana agrees that mobile phones can save lives in emergencies, he states that there is now a significant and growing body of evidence for a link between mobile phone use and the development of some brain tumors. As we move into the next decade Khurana says this evidence will become a reality.

He says that the incidence of brain tumors will grow significantly over the next decade, by which time there is not much that can be done for those who become ill.

Khurana says that the mobile phone danger to public health may be greater than that of asbestos and/or smoking. There are three times as many people globally who use mobiles regularly than there are regular smokers, Khurana points out.

According to the Mobile Operators Association, Khurana's study does not present a balanced analysis.

-- Dr. Vini Khurana
-- Read what Khurana has written in more detail

Written by - Christian Nordqvist
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