Dr. Mercola's Comments:

I believe the tide is about to change folks, as the truth of any situation can rarely remain hidden forever. Sooner or later, the ramifications of our errors become self evident, just like the true dangers of smoking could not be ignored past a certain point.

Those "in the know" in the medical professions -- after mountains of evidence have rendered it inarguable -- are finally becoming aware that the dangers of cell phones are indeed real, and they're beginning to speak out in larger numbers.

This is often the first step to such knowledge becoming common in the general population.

The truth is, we are on the verge of a brain cancer epidemic. It could grow to 500,000 cases worldwide as soon as 2010, and there may be over a million cases in the U.S. alone by 2015.

Even if you manage to avoid brain cancer, there are risks ranging from headaches and dizziness to Alzheimer's disease to impotence.

It will take a while for this to become mainstream news, of course. First, the information has to clear the multiple hurdles put in place by the corporate propaganda machines. Just as happened for decades with cigarettes, they will try to hide the truth, using any means available. The telecommunications industry is massive, with combined revenues of more than $869 billion in 2007, and it will do its best to spread misdirection, spin, and outright lies.

Additionally, government agencies that are, in theory there to protect you, have entered into mutually profitable "partnerships" with the very businesses they are supposed to regulate, meaning there is very little real regulation going on.

In 2007 alone, the telecommunications industry spent almost $250 million on political lobbying. Over the past decade, they have spent a grand total of nearly $2.4 billion. Of course, that's just a drop in the bucket compared to their profits.

The Pattern is Emerging - Pay Attention!

While years ago scientists were dismissive of any risks associated with cell phone use, the accumulated amounts of studies showing health risks for long-term users now paint an entirely different picture. In addition to the Toronto Department of Health advisory, the U.K., Belgium, Germany, France and Russia have already introduced precautionary policies regarding cell phone usage due to potential health risks.

For example, one Swedish review of 11 studies found that using your cell phone for 10 years or longer will double your risk of getting a tumor on a nerve connecting your ear to your brain (acoustic neuroma). And because children have thinner skulls than adults, and their nervous systems are still developing, children are particularly vulnerable to this type of tumor and should not use cell phones at all.

Professor Mild, lead researcher of that particular study, also cautioned that the danger may be even greater than what they found because cancers need a minimum of 10 years to develop. Since children today are using cell phones at an earlier age than any previous generation, their exposure will be far greater over their lifetimes.

Health Problems Bound to Erupt Due to Radio Wave Saturation

Information-carrying radio waves have increased dramatically and exponentially over the last few years. Just think: it took 20 years for the first 1 billion cell phones to be sold -- a milestone reached in 2004. The next billion took just 18 months. The third billion was sold even faster -- just nine months, and we will reach the fourth billion by the end of this year.

Add to that all the wireless networks that are now becoming standard, exposing you to massive amounts of radio waves whether you actually use wireless or not.  Most major office buildings now have WiFi, as do Starbuck's, Panera Bread, and most libraries.

The biological danger from WiFi routers, cell phones and land-based portable phones comes from two sources:

1. The modulated signals that are carried ON the carrier microwave, and
2. The carrier wave itself

The modulated information-carrying radio waves resonate in biological frequencies of a few to a few hundred cycles per second, and can stimulate your vibrational cellular receptors, causing a whole cascade of pathological consequences that can culminate in fatigue, anxiety, and ultimately cancers.

And the carrier wave has been found to create damage NOT related to thermal heat damage, which the industry has long argued is the only possible cause of biological harm (i.e. "radio waves do not create enough thermal heat to pose a risk to biological tissue.") Therefore, simply lowering the SAR rating on cell phones -- which determines how much radiation your body absorbs -- or making sure your phone is within legal SAR limits, has virtually nothing to do with  guaranteeing your safety.

Your cells will interpret even a minute amount of cell phone radiation as a threat, and will shut down many vital processes. This is a response intended to protect them, but when you talk on a cell phone, it lasts for far longer than your body can handle.

A lot of the damage is caused by the disruption of microtubular connections that allow biophotons to communicate between cells, which decreases intracellular communication. Increased deposits of heavy metals also begin to accumulate in your cells, which increases intracelluar production of free radicals, and can radically decrease cellular production of energy, thus making you incredibly fatigued.

Once your body's microtubular communication system is damaged, it is very easy to develop all sorts of pathologies related to disrupted intracellular antioxidant systems and heavy metal toxicities.

The INTERPHONE Study - the Report Everyone's Waiting For

As recently reported in Microwave News, the results from the largest cell phone study to date are being eagerly awaited by both industry and governments worldwide. The INTERPHONE Project -- a 13-country epidemiological study of tumors among users of mobile phones - is already lagging three years behind its scheduled completion date.

Part of the delay in putting together the final report now appears to be internal strife, as scientists are joining opposing camps of "safe" vs. "unsafe."

The GSM Association, a global trade organization of mobile operators, and the forum, which includes Nokia and about a dozen other manufacturers, contributed more than $3.5 million to the $15-plus million project. The European Commission also helped fund it with contributions passed through the International Union Against Cancer in an effort to create a barrier between the mobile phone industry and the scientists.

The outcome of this particular study may be more vital than most people realize, as institutions like the World Health Organization (WHO) and the European Commission have cautioned that conclusions about possible cancer risks cannot be drawn until the INTERPHONE study is published. If the wrong conclusions are drawn from these studies, the resulting lack of public warnings could have disastrous consequences for the generations to come.

However, so far, studies confirming health risks associated with cell phone use, released by participating countries, include:

• Israel - Released December 6, 2007 this study is a perfect example of misguiding double-speak. It states that they found no increased overall risk due to cellular phone use. However, that regular users, as well as heavy users in rural areas showed increased risk of parotid gland tumors, due to higher levels of exposure.
  
  
• Sweden - The Swedish study found a "consistent pattern of increased risk for glioma and acoustic neuroma after ten years." Lead author Lennart Hardell noted that he believes a ten-year tumor latency is the "minimum" -that is, the observed risks are likely to grow larger in the years ahead.
• Finland -- The Finnish group reported its data as part of a joint analysis with those from four other Interphone countries (Denmark, Norway, Sweden and the U.K.). Together they reported an elevated risk for brain tumors and acoustic neuroma among long-term cell-phone users.

The BioInitiative Report

Others, in the meantime, are tired of waiting and have taken other initiatives to educate the general public. The BioInitiative Report, published August 31, 2007, was created by an international working group of scientists, researchers and public health policy professionals.

They document serious scientific concerns about the current limits regulating how much EMF is allowable from power lines, cell phones, and many other sources of EMF exposure in daily life, concluding that the existing standards for public safety are completely inadequate to protect your health.

Their report also includes studies showing evidence for:

• Effects on Gene and Protein Expression (Transcriptomic and Proteomic Research)
• Genotoxic Effects - RFR and ELF DNA Damage
• Stress Response (Stress Proteins)
• Effects on Immune Function
• Effects on Neurology and Behavior
  
• Brain Tumors and Acoustic Neuromas
• Childhood Cancers (Leukemia)
• Magnetic Field Exposure: Melatonin Production; Alzheimer's Disease; Breast Cancer
• Breast Cancer Promotion (Melatonin links in laboratory and cell studies)
• Disruption by the Modulating Signal

Protect Yourself from the Invisible Danger of EMR

Some individuals believe that relatively expensive fixes like nano polymers (like those used by BioPro) might help, but my initial investigation strongly suggests that this technology protection is only minimally effective, and dissipates rapidly.

Of course, the only real solution is to move our culture away from wireless back to more wired. As for myself, I completely renovated my new home prior to moving in earlier this year, and part of the project was to put in wired CAT-5 cables so I have no wireless connections at all.  We have also recently moved into a brand new 25,000 square foot office building where we have no wireless anywhere in the building.

I've also learned that most portable home phones are a major source of these information carrying radio waves.

The only exception would be the much older, essentially antiquated 900 MHz portable phones. Fortunately they are still readily available online. One of the major differences is that they are only on when in use. The other higher MHz phones are on continuously, bombarding your cells with tissue damaging radiation even when you're not using them.   

If you do choose to use a cell phone, use the speakerphone function whenever possible -- and keep the phone about two feet away from any body part. Do not keep the phone on your belt or in your pocket even when you're not using it, as the radiation WILL penetrate your body wherever the phone is attached. Instead, stow it away in a purse, backpack, or your car's glove compartment.

For times when a speakerphone isn't practical, use an air-tube headset, rather than a wireless Bluetooth.

Also, keep an eye on the signal bars on your cell phone, which tell you how strong your connecting signal is. The closer you are to a cell phone tower, the stronger your signal, and the less power your phone has to use to maintain the connection.

A strong signal is indicated by a full set of "bars" showing on your cell phone display. Fewer bars mean a weaker signal.

As in the Israeli study mentioned above, frequent use of your cell phone when you have a weak signal carries greater risk as the amount of radiation produced by your phone is higher, which increases your exposure. Talking outdoors or in open spaces can often allow for a better connection from your cell phone to your nearest cell phone tower.

The exception to that rule is if you live in a rural area where the nearest tower is some distance away, in which case you're constantly exposed to greater amounts of radiation from your cell phone than city and urban users and would be best advised to use a landline whenever feasible.