The cell phone “not dangerous/dangerous” seesaw has shifted yet again. One day the experts are saying there’s no evidence of any health risks from using a cell phone, and the next someone proposes it will cause disease or kill you.
Most recently Dr. Vini Khurana, a top neurosurgeon in the world, has published a study about cell phone usage and an increased risk of brain cancer. His study claims that cell phone usage is increasing the risk of brain cancer due to the radiation from the handsets.
Cell phone use worse than smoking?
I find the premise of the study, that using a cell phone is worse than smoking, a little bit misleading. The study estimates 3 billion people have cell phones, triple the number of people who smoke. It seems the idea is that eventually, there would be more deaths per year from brain tumors caused by cell phone use than smoking related cancers since more people use cell phones.
It doesn’t seem to me that cell phone use would be worse merely because more people could die from it, since more people use a cell phone than smoke. Maybe if it’s guaranteed to give you a brain tumor much faster than smoking would cause lung cancer it would be worse. Either way, they both increase the risk of a very serious, and potentially terminal, condition.
It’s also not a good comment since smokers who don’t use a cell phone will probably justify smoking as “At least I don’t use a cell phone”, as if that makes it any better. At least cell phones only really affect the user. Smoking affects everyone in a wider area.
Will it stop people from using cell phones?
There are so many products that have been known to increase the risk of serious or terminal illnesses, but that does not stop people from buying them. Most people know trans fat is bad for them, even in small amounts, but they still eat food with them. Packages of cigarettes have health warnings on them warning of birth defects, cancer and impotence. People are aware of the risks yet they continue to smoke. I mean seriously, if impotence isn’t going to stop a guy from smoking, risk of a brain tumor certainly won’t.
With the importance of cell phones for business, emergencies, or social situations, it’s unlikely the news of an increased risk of brain tumors from the cell phone radiation will make people put away their cell phones. Cell phones have also been under fire for affecting male fertility and causing sleep disorders.
What can you do?
If you can’t live without your cell phone, here are some tips to limit your exposure and cut down on the radiation your brain must deal with.
- Make quick phone calls instead of talking for a long time
- Forward your cell phone calls to your landline when at home
- Use a headset so your handset isn’t up to your ear
- Choose a phone with a low level of radiation or at least avoid the ones with the highest levels
Dr. Khurana isn’t against cell phones. He believes they’re useful, but he’s hoping that cell phone companies will develop safer phones and/or more hand’s free options to keep the handsets away from the brain.
But for now, with the information available, it doesn’t seem like cell phones are worse. Smoking has already caused many lung cancer deaths. I have not come across anything about a cancer death caused by cell phone use. Even if cell phones are proven to cause tumors down the road, the end result is still some form of cancer. Since both are potentially terminal, isn’t it just splitting hairs labeling one worse than the other?
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