CELLULAR PHONES: Industry to Disclose Radiation Levels
Beginning next month, cellular phone manufacturers will disclose radiation levels produced by their handsets, the Wall Street Journal reports. The new rule is required by the industry's national trade group, the Cellular Telecommunications Industry Association and is "yet another step ... to address continuing concerns over the safety of cellular-phone usage." According to the regulation, phone makers must enclose specific information on radiation emission, including an explanation of the testing process, in each box. Emission figures will not appear on the outside packaging. Manufacturers said that consumers will begin to see the new inserts in three to six months. Although no widely conclusive evidence exists on the dangers of wireless phones, the FDA agreed last month to oversee a study to determine whether the product's radiation emissions are harmful. CTIA Vice President Jo-Anne Basile said, "We know that there is growing interest in this, and we're just trying to provide the information" (Harris, 7/18).
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