U.K. lays out cell phone safety plans

The British government launched a package of safety precautions for cell phones Friday, including leaflets advising that children be discouraged from using the handsets at all. THE MEASURES include $10 million for more research, disclosure of the radiation levels emitted by every phone model and an audit of radio wave emissions from base stations. Though phones sold in the United States are starting to carry notification of radiation levels, Britain is the first country to embark on such a broad precautionary response to health concerns, said Michael Dolan, a mobile phone expert with the Federation of the Electronics Industry trade group. The leaflets summarize the safety research to date, saying experts have concluded that although no evidence exists that using a cell phone causes brain tumors or other ill effects, a health risk cannot be ruled out, particularly for children.They will be distributed over the next few days not only through phone retailers, but also through doctors’ offices,libraries, book, music and electronics retailers, post offices and supermarkets, the Health Department said.