Health Hazard From Cell Phones? Assembly's Deborah Glick Says She's Looking Into Legislation

After news broke of a World Health Organization announcement that cell phones could cause cancer in humans, state Assemblywoman Deborah Glick's office put out the word that she's looking into possible legislation to address the issue.

Asked what that might entail, her chief of staff, Matthew Borden, told me: "We're chatting with program and counsel about various possibilities. With the news that cancer might be in fact caused by the absortion of radio waves, possible legislation might be creating warnings similar to the ones found on labels in San Francisco advertising SAR rates, or it could be of an advisory nature limiting usage by children. At this point we are trying to see what is possible and what makes sense but given the ubiquitious nature of cell phones, if there are health implications it's something that would fall in the Legislature's wheelhouse."

Our Larry McShane reported a bit earlier:

Dial M for malignant. The World Health Organization says cell phone use could be cancer-causing, with radio frequency electromagnetic fields "possibly carcinogenic to humans."

The alarming announcement came Tuesday from a group of 31 scientists from 14 countries gathered for the past few days in Lyon, France.

There is some evidence that cell phones are responsible for "an increased risk for glioma, a malignant type of brain cancer," said a statement from the WHO's International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC).