Massachusetts Medical Association
Massachusetts Medical Association Adopts Resolution on Wireless Safety Standards
Dr. Lisa Nagy MD introduced the Resolution: Wireless Communications Public Safety Standards Reevaluation and following testimony by Dr. Cindy Russell, who helped the California Medical Association pass the first Wireless Resolution, and Dr. David Carpenter, advisor to the World Health Organization, the Massachusetts Medical Association voted to adopt a resolution in December 2021. The text of the final adopted resolution is as follows:
That the Massachusetts Medical Society adopt in lieu of Resolution I-20 A-106 the 16 following:
That the Massachusetts Medical Society supports continuing research, including quality epidemiologic studies, by appropriate agencies and entities to produce evidence-based data on the effect(s) of radio frequency radiation on human health. If indicated, study findings should be used to revise and update public health standards for safe limits of human exposure to radio frequency radiation. (HP)
The California Medical Association Resolution reads
“That California Medical Association supports efforts to reevaluate microwave safety exposure levels associated with wireless communication devices, including consideration of adverse non-thermal biologic and health effects from non-ionizing electromagnetic radiation used in wireless communications; and be it further resolved that California Medical Association support efforts to implement new safety exposure limits for wireless devices to levels that do not cause human or environmental harm based on scientific research.”
See below the information that Dr. Nagy presented to the Medical Association.
Note: The information below is not the passed resolution. It is the information that was presented to support the resolution that finally passed.
That the Massachusetts Medical Society supports continuing research, including quality epidemiologic studies, by appropriate agencies and entities to produce evidence-based data on the effect(s) of radio frequency radiation on human health. If indicated, study findings should be used to revise and update public health standards for safe limits of human exposure to radio frequency radiation.
Click here to download information presented to the Massachusetts Medical Association
MASSACHUSETTS MEDICAL SOCIETY HOUSE OF DELEGATES
Whereas, An MMS objective is A/Patients/1: To advance patient health, well-being, and engagement, prioritizing the most critical individual and public health areas; and
Whereas, The MMS currently has no policy on wireless communication and public health; and
Whereas, Today’s cell towers, 4G/5G small cell antennas, routers, cellular phones, tablets, wearables, baby monitors, gaming systems, utility smart meters, certain medical devices, Internet of Things (IoT) products, and all other wireless technology emit radiofrequency radiation; and
Whereas, Wireless technology came to market with no biological safety testing; and
Whereas, Scientists are increasingly identifying electromagnetic fields (EMFs) of radiofrequency radiation from wireless devices as a new form of environmental pollution with a growing body of independent peer-reviewed scientific evidence finding significant adverse health and biologic effects on living organisms with exposure to the low levels of non-ionizing microwaves currently approved and used in wireless communication;[1] and
Whereas, The California Medical Association House of Delegates passed Resolution 107-14: Wireless Communications Public Safety Standards Reevaluation;[2]; and
Whereas, Some contend that the dosage effects of chronic exposure to wireless radiation are cumulative and illnesses are mounting;[3],[4] and
Whereas, Lifetime maximum exposure limits are established for ionizing radiation[5] but have yet to be established for non-ionizing radiation; and
Whereas, The US National Toxicology Program’s (NTP) $30 million study in 2018 determined “clear evidence” electromagnetic radiation causes cancer[6] and DNA damage;[7] and
Whereas, Italy’s Ramazzini Institute corroborated the NTP findings in another statistically significant 2018 study;[8]and
Whereas, Additional peer-reviewed studies[9] confirm electromagnetic radiation exposure leads to many of the symptoms doctors and patients are grappling with today including immune suppression, cognitive dysfunction, anxiety, depression, suicidal ideation, infertility, autism, Alzheimer’s, headaches, nausea, insomnia, nosebleeds, pain, and more; and
Whereas, The scientific literature indicates children,[10] fetuses, the elderly, and those with existing health conditions are especially vulnerable sub-populations; and children are being given radiation-emitting wireless devices to access their education during the COVID-19 pandemic with no safety instruction; and
Whereas, The International EMF Scientist Appeal[11] urgently calls upon the United Nations, the WHO, UNEP, and the UN Member States to address the global public health concerns related to exposure to cell phones, power lines, electrical appliances, wireless devices, wireless utility meters, and wireless infrastructure in residential homes, schools, communities, and businesses; and
Whereas, The World Health Organization in 2011 classified electromagnetic radiation as possibly carcinogenic to humans (Group 2B)[12] and in 2020 is relaunching an investigation into radiofrequency electromagnetic fields;[13]and
Whereas, Harvard’s report Captured Agency: How the Federal Communications Commission is Dominated by the Industries it Presumably Regulates[14] indicates the wireless industry and FCC appear to be using the Big Tobacco playbook and have successfully suppressed credible scientific findings from the public and medical community; and
Whereas, The industry is now placing toxic 4G/5G small cell antennas inside Massachusetts neighborhoods at close range outside of homes and offices[15] and installing cell antennas inside or on medical facilities; and
Whereas, In 2019 the United States brought in domestic and international experts for the first three-day Level 1 CME-accredited EMF Conference to train health care providers to recognize, diagnose, treat, and prevent wireless radiation illnesses[16]; and the next international EMF Medical Conference will be held online January, 2021;[17]and
Whereas, Educators in San Francisco, California, passed a resolution calling for safer technology standards for all San Francisco schools;[18] and
Whereas, In 2019, New Hampshire passed a law,[19] and a commission[20] is now investigating the health and environmental impacts of wireless radiation and will report out in November 2020; and
Whereas, Oregon in 2019 passed an emergency law directing Oregon Health Authority to report by January 2021 on the peer-reviewed, independently funded scientific studies of health effects especially as it pertains to Wi-Fi exposures on school children;[21] and
Whereas, Massachusetts has 20 bills filed this session to address electromagnetic radiation and public health, several of which have been reported out favorably;[22] and
Whereas, The City of Boston in 2020 filed formal comments with the Federal Communications Commission stating,“Boston believes that the concerns of the public are real and that the Commission has done a disservice to itself, local government, consumers, and even the wireless industry in failing to understand and respond to the broadly shared mistrust of the safety of RF emissions”;[23] therefore, be it
- RESOLVED, That the MMS supports the reevaluation by the Federal Communication Commission (FCC) regarding microwave safety exposure levels associated with wireless communication devices to include the consideration of adverse non-thermal biologic and health effects from non-ionizing electromagnetic radiation used in wireless communications; and, be it further (HP)
- RESOLVED, That the MMS supports implementation of new safety exposure limits for wireless devices to levels that do not cause human or environmental harm based on scientific research; and, be it further (HP)
- RESOLVED, That the MMS advocate to the American Medical Association to support efforts to reevaluate microwave safety exposure levels associated with wireless communication devices, including consideration of adverse non-thermal biologic and health effects from non-ionizing electromagnetic radiation used in wireless communications, and to support efforts to implement new safety exposure limits for wireless devices to levels that do not cause human or environmental harm based on scientific research. (D)
Fiscal Note: No Significant Impact
(Estimated Expenses)
Estimated Staff Effort
to Complete Directive(s): No Significant Impact
[1] Lai H. BioInitiative Report, Research Summaries 2014-2020. https://bioinitiative.org/research-summaries/.
[2] California Medical Association House of Delegates. Wireless Communications Public Safety Standards Reevaluation. 2014. https://ecfsapi.fcc.gov/file/1092989731923/30-Attachment%2030-%20California%20Medical%20Association%20Resolution.pdf.
[3] Belyaev I et al. EUROPAEM EMF Guidelines for the diagnosis and treatment of EMF-related health problems and illnesses (EMF Syndrome). Reviews on Environmental Health. 2016. https://www.vagbrytaren.org/Guideline AG-EMF.pdf
4 Lear RA. The Root Cause in the Dramatic Rise of Chronic Disease. Research Gate 2018. https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Richard_Lear/publication/303673576_The_Root_Cause_in_the_dramatic_rise_of_Chronic_Disease/links/5b9686664585153a531bd30c/The-Root-Cause-in-the-dramatic-rise-of-Chronic-Disease.pdf
[5] United States Nuclear Regulatory Commission. Part 20 — Standards for Protection against Radiation. https://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/doc-collections/cfr/part020/full-text.html.
[6] Wyde ME. NTP Technical Report on the Toxicology and Carcinogenesis Studies in HSD: Sprague Dawley SD Rats Exposed to Whole-body Radio Frequency Radiation at a Frequency (900 MHz) and Modulations (GSM and CDMA) Used by Cell Phones. 2018. https://ntp.niehs.nih.gov/whatwestudy/topics/cellphones/index.html#studies.
[7] Smith-Roe SL, Wyde ME, Stout MD, et al. Evaluation of the genotoxicity of cell phone radiofrequency radiation in male and female rats and mice following subchronic exposure. Environ Mol Mutagen. 2019. https://doi.org/10.1002/em.22343.
[8] Falcioni L, Bua L, Tibaldi E, et al. Report of final results regarding brain and heart tumors in Sprague-Dawley rats exposed from prenatal life until natural death to mobile phone radiofrequency field representative of a 1.8 GHz GSM base station environmental emission. 2018. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0013935118300367?via%3Dihub.
[9] Pall M. 5G: Great risk for EU, U.S. and International Health! Compelling Evidence for Eight Distinct Types of Great Harm Caused by Electromagnetic Field (EMF) Exposures and the Mechanism that Causes Them. 2018.https://europaem.eu/attachments/article/131/2018-04_EU-EMF2018-5US.pdf.
[10] Ghandi OP. Yes, the Children Are More Exposed to Radiofrequency Energy from Mobile Telephones Than Adults. IEEE Access. 2015. https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/document/7131429?reload=true&arnumber=7131429&contentType=Journals%20%26%20Magazines.
[11] 252 EMF Scientists from 43 nations. International Appeal: Scientists call for Protection from Non-ionizing Electromagnetic Field Exposure. 2019. https://www.emfscientist.org/.
[12] WHO. Non-ionizing Radiation, Part 2: Radiofrequency Electromagnetic Fields. IARC Monographs on the Evaluation of Carcinogenic Risks to Humans Volume 102. 2011. https://publications.iarc.fr/126.
[13] WHO Electromagnetic Fields Site. https://www.who.int/peh-emf/research/rf_ehc_page/en/index1.html. Accessed September 11, 2020.
[14] Alster N. Captured Agency: How the Federal Communications Commission is Dominated by the Industries it Presumably Regulates. Harvard University, Edmond J. Safra Center for Ethics, 2015. https://ethics.harvard.edu/news/new-e-books-edmond-j-safra-research-lab.
[15] ArcGIS Online Site. DAS/Small Cell Locations Boston. https://boston.maps.arcgis.com/apps/View/index.html?appid=968bcd0da75f44cca75298153b33ac7f. Accessed January 2, 2020.
[16] EMF Conference Site. https://emfconference.com/home. Accessed September 11, 2020.
[17] EMF Medical Conference Site. https://emfconference2021.com/. Accessed September 11, 2020.
[18] United Educators of San Francisco Resolution. Enhancing Technology Safety in San Francisco Unified School District. https://www.uesf.org/san-francisco-educators-pass-resolution-calling-for-safer-technology-standards-for-all-san-francisco-schools/. Accessed March 13, 2020.
[19] Abrami P, Sherman T. New Hampshire House Bill 522 Establishing a commission to study the environmental and health effects of evolving 5G technology. 2019. http://gencourt.state.nh.us/bill_status/bill_status.aspx?lsr=0261&sy=2019&txtsessionyear=2019&txtbillnumber=hb522&sortoption=&q=1.
[20] New Hampshire General Court, Commission to Study the Environmental and Health Effects of Evolving 5G Technology. http://www.gencourt.state.nh.us/statstudcomm/committees/1474/default.html.Accessed September 11, 2020.
[21] Anderson ML. Oregon Senate Bill 283 Relating to exposure to radiation in schools in this state; and declaring an emergency. 2019. https://olis.leg.state.or.us/liz/2019R1/Measures/Overview/SB283.
[22] Doucette C. Understanding EMFs research repository, Massachusetts EMF Bills, 2019–2020. https://sites.google.com/site/understandingemfs/massachusetts-emf-bills-2019-20/bills-in-other-states-2019-20.
[23] City of Boston. FCC ET 19-226 In the Matter of Proposed Changes in the Commission’s Rules Regarding Human Exposure to Radiofrequency Electromagnetic Fields. https://img1.wsimg.com/blobby/go/18add696-2410-4f74-a623-35ee3c12832d/downloads/FCC%2019-226%20COMMENTS_BostonMA.pdf?ver=1592952452329.
