Castle Hill High School Issues Safety Tips To Reduce Cell Phone Radiation

The Castle Hill High School P&C Committee has issued recommendations to reduce cell phone wireless exposure for students and staff.  Castle High School is located in Australia and joins an ever growing list of schools internationally  taking action to ensure a safer school environment. Over twenty countries recommend people reduce exposure to cell phone radiation.

“The Castle Hill motto is “Truth is Strength” and this community has certainly lived up to their words,” stated Theodora Scarato, Executive Director of Environmental Health Trust. She pointed out that the high school’s action is in line with expert medical recommendations that include the Vienna Medical Association’s Ten Medical Rules for Cell Phones, the Athens Medical Association’s 16 recommendations to reduce exposure, the American Academy of Pediatrics ten steps to reduce cell phone radiation exposure, the Cyprus National Committee on Environment and Child Health’s public service announcements for children, teens and pregnant women . “Over 250 scientists are calling for urgent action and policy changes to protect the public. Castle Hill High School has applied these public health expert recommendations to their everyday life. It will not be long before such prudent common sense recommendations are common policies found in schools across the world.” 

In the United States, the US National Toxicology Program $25 million animal study on long-term exposure to radiofrequency EMF radiation released their final reports  that found DNA Damage, heart damage, increased brain tumors and increased heart tumors deemed “clear evidence of cancer.”  The Collaborative for High Performance Schools (the United States’ first green building rating program especially designed for K-12 schools) has developed Best Practices for LOW EMF classrooms. The Maryland State Children’s Environmental Health and Protection Advisory Council issued recommendations to the US Department of Education to recommend local school districts reduce classroom wireless radiation exposures by providing wired—rather than wireless—Internet connections. Just this year the United Educators of San Francisco passed a  Resolution on Enhancing Technology Safety in San Francisco Unified School District” that calls for the California cell phone guidance to be disseminated to students and staff. (Read the press release.)

Castle Hill High School  P&C Committee – Mobile Phone Safety Tips & Cyberbullying Information

This information is in a PDF here and found online at Castle Hill High School here. 

Without doubt mobile phones are very useful devices.  The P&C have paid due attention to the substantial evidence that has emerged over the recent years indicating that their use must be controlled – more importantly in children.  It is clear that we must train ourselves to become smart users of our “smartphones” in particular, in order to minimise the negative side associated with them. For example, the addictive behaviour is a risk to children and adolescents that gets in the way of learning and socialising.

SAFETY FIRST

We are concerned about the emerging evidence for adverse effects of mobile phones on children’s mental and physical health.  When reputable scientific bodies have issued warnings and government health agencies of some other countries have already started awareness-raising campaigns/taken measures (please see appendix for full details) to reduce children’s exposure to microwave radiofrequency electromagnetic radiation (RF-EMR) from mobile phones and other wireless devices, it is clearly prudent to follow the Precautionary Principle to protect children.

Fact – wireless devices including mobile phones emit microwave radiation (RF-EMR). Human exposure to RF-EMR has increased by more than a billion-fold over the last few decades. Recent scientific evidence has confirmed that currently permitted levels of RF-EMR can cause various effects on living cells including damaging DNA (e.g. National Toxicology Program (NTP) of the USA).

The following points are shared in the hope of encouraging safer and more responsible use of mobile phones by students.  The Precautionary Principle should be instituted when using a mobile phone or any wireless device. Note there is no proof of safety with these devices.

• Mobile phones were first introduced without any pre market testing for safety.  Mobile phones emit Electromagnetic Radiation (EMR) and EMR has been classified by the World Health Organisation (WHO) as a 2B Possible Carcinogen..
• Have you read the fine print?  That is, every phone comes with a legal disclaimer warning that the mobile is not meant to be placed directly against the head or the body.  Use speaker phone instead.
• Mobile phones should not be placed on your person or in pockets.  Studies showing reduced fertility and damaged sperm have been demonstrated when mobiles are placed in pockets or against the body.
• Airplane Mode is your new best friend because it stops the mobile emitting EMR.  Always check that Wi-Fi/Blue Tooth are turned off as well for complete protection.
• If the phone is turned into silent mode it will still be emitting EMR.  Only Airplane Mode and disabling wireless and/or completely turning off your phone will stop the EMR.
• Consider turning your mobile on only when you need to make call and consider the use of air tube headsets to assist with exposure minimisation.
• Mobile Phones have no place in bedrooms and should not be left on at night.  If a mobile is on, it continually and periodically checks for the closest mobile phone tower and this process creates microwave radiation or EMR.
• Mobile phone chargers also emit magnetic fields and should not be placed in bedrooms or near where people spend lots of time.
• Mobile devices should be switched off in cars, buses and all forms of public transport.  The metal in the vehicle means it is more difficult for the signal to escape the vehicle and higher levels of radiation result for all passengers. This situation is the same for travelling in lifts.
• Learner drivers and P1 drivers and riders are not permitted to use a mobile phone at all while driving or riding in a vehicle.  This is law in Australia.
• Consider texting rather than phoning and note you can send several texts in Airplane Mode so that when typing the text you are not exposed to radiation.  Then simply turn your phone on and let the message(s) transmit.
• When playing games on your mobile or listening to music it is essential to use Airplane Mode (see point 4).
• All wireless laptops and tablets emit EMR.  When internet access is not required, they should be switched into Airplane Mode (see point 4).

https://ehtrust.org/key-issues/cell-phoneswireless/wifi-in-schools/