Judge tells SF to tone down new cell phone law

[alp227]

Source: SF Chronicle

(10-27) 16:12 PDT SAN FRANCISCO -- San Francisco's ordinance requiring cell phone dealers to warn customers about radiation from their products goes too far, a federal judge ruled today, ordering the city to soften its message and stop requiring retailers to post it on their walls.

The warnings convey the "untrue and misleading" impression that "cell phones are dangerous and that they have somehow escaped the regulatory process," said U.S. District Judge William Alsup.

In fact, he said, all cell phones sold in the United States must meet safety standards set by the Federal Communications Commission, which has not found that the devices emit dangerous levels of radiation.

San Francisco is entitled to notify customers of potential health hazards, but the city's ordinance overstates the known dangers and forces retailers to endorse a message they oppose, Alsup said.

Read more: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2011/10/27/BACT1LNAHE.DTL

[truthisfreedom]

1. I highly doubt that this warning is false. But on the other hand, I highly doubt that this warning

deters anyone who wants to buy a cell phone anyway.

[Warpy]

3. It's not established fact

Studies have been contradictory.

We won't know if it's true until we count up the cancer cases 20 years from now.

If we can still count.

[valerief]

2. Judge Verizon is at it again. nt

[redixdoragon]

4. This bears a striking resemblence...

....to a lot of other calls to end this sort of thing for other products such as cigarettes.

Cell phones may be harmless and may only cause cancer in the most susceptable of people but look at the judge's actions and language on this issue.

He is working to protect the buisness first, the people last. This is the same crap we get in a lot of other places.

"San Francisco is entitled to notify customers of potential health hazards,but the city's ordinance overstates the known dangers and forces retailers to endorse a message they oppose, Alsup said"

Buisness before people, as usual. Buisnesses don't want any advertising interference, and if theirs is the most unhealthy product on the market, they will fight tooth and nail to be sure they don't have to put up any warnings because that might "hurt buisness."

Cell phones may not be the worst danger out there as far as all things go that we're subjected to, but it's the spirit of the way this is being conducted which seems to be buisness as usual that is really disheartening.

*edited for HTML error

[BiggJawn]

5. The Danes say no.

No link between cellies and Cancer.
http://abcnews.go.com/Technology/wireStory/largest-study-cellphones-cancer-finds-link-14785822

But, like everything else, there will be another study along any minute that says they do cause Cancer.

Guess we'll have to wait until Andrew Wakefield takes up the question...