SF Mayor Supports Cell Phone Radiation Labels

By Dena Cassella December 15, 2009

Mayor Gavin Newsom is endorsing a proposal that would make San Francisco the first city in the country to require radiation labels for cell phones.

The legislation would require cell phone retailers to post radiation levels next to each phone in a font at least as large as the price. The retailers also would have to inform customers about what the radiation levels mean.

Scientists do not agree on whether radiation from cell phones poses any health hazard.

The federal government has established limits for safe exposure. The Federal Communications Commission says all phones legally sold in the U.S. are safe.

Newsom spokesman Joe Arellano says a bill to enact the rules likely will go before the Board of Supervisors within the next few months.

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Smartphones are wonderful devices capable of serving us in so many ways, but there's a horrible, inescapable downside to owning one: Cell phone carriers. The need to sign up with a carrier to get mobile service can suck a lot of the fun out of owning a smartphone and a lot of the money out of your pocket. Competition is supposed drive prices down and standards up, but if you need proof that this theory doesn't always pan out, the big carriers are ready to provide it.

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