It wasn't until 1984 that cellular phones were first mass marketed to the general public. It was a technical marvel by which people could reach into their pockets, then simply make a call to someone - anywhere in the world. This new wireless gadget was bulky, expensive to operate compared to nowadays and back then seemed like just another toy on the wish list of those who had money. At that time no one pondered whether these techno-futuristic gadgets could have a potential risk of causing cancer, brain tumors or any other sort of health risk. There had been no pre-market testing performed on these radiation-emitting devices, which is held next to the area of the head which is least protected by bone (skull). In fact the agency who regulates the devices in the U.S., the FCC, was much more concerned that these new devices did not cause any form of interference with televisions, radios or any other device that may be in the same vicinity. 

Even 10 years later, when cell phones kept gaining popularity with the general buying public and more then 15 million Americans had cell phones (not to mention worldwide), still there was no testing performed or thought given to health risks. By the end of 1999 almost 104 million people in the US (and more than 500 million worldwide) owned a mobile phone, some who even removed their physical phone line from their home opting to use their cellular number for all calls.

The cell phone industry says that every phone it sells safely meets radiation safety limits set by the Government. But tests recently conducted by ABC's news program 20/20 found that some of the most popular phones can far exceed the government's radiation standards - depending upon how they are held. 20/20's report showed that government testing guidelines are so vague that a phone can pass the Federal Communications Commission’s requirements when tested in one position and exceed those maximum levels when held in a slightly different position. The signals transmitted and received by your cell phone are the same type of wave that is used in your microwave oven or by a doctors x-ray machine and although these waves are not as strong, the waves received / transmitted by your phone is strong enough to travel over 50 miles. Now even though they are not as strong, think about what you wear when you get an x-ray at the doctors office, a heavy lead vest, not to mention the technician who is taking the x-ray goes into a separate room or behind a lead screen. Even worse, is that dangerous levels of radiation build up in the human body, that is why its not uncommon for a doctor to ask how many x-rays you've had in the past year.

Depending on how close the cell phone antenna is, as much as 60 percent of the microwave radiation is absorbed by and actually penetrates the area around the head. In most cases the bone of an adult skull can block most of the radiation that is created from other devices. The problem encountered with cell phones is that we hold them directly next to one of the areas of the head which have the least amount of protection, the ear canal / ear drum. The majority of the radiation passes through the soft tissue of the ear canal, some reaching an inch to an inch-and-a-half into the brain. This is also why every technical testing and report that have been conducted around the world have recommended that you refrain from using a cell phone in the immediate vicinity of a newborn or toddler as their bodies are still developing and their bones are not yet thick enough to block the harmful waves. 

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