Canadian controversy, eh
While the Cellular Telecommunications Industry Association and
its patrons were whooping it up last week in New Orleans, Canada was working itself into a frenzy over an issue that
once was big in the “lower 48” before folks here succumbed to battle fatigue over the carrier- and
manufacturer-funded cancer research program that’s mercifully winding down with little to show for itself after five
years and $25 million.
With powerful broadcast transmitters aimed at provinces near and far, the Canadian
Broadcasting Corp. last Tuesday recounted the U.S. cell phone cancer controversy and pondered whether the Canadian
government could improve on the American experience.
Official Ottawa, compelled to respond to growing media
reports and citizen inquiries about whether mobile phones pose health risks, is finishing a review of relevant scientific
literature. A report is due out in late March, and Health Canada will decide how to proceed.
CBC’s Fifth Estate
news magazine expose included interviews with Canada’s Dr. William Leiss, Aussie tech writer Stewart Fist, David
Reynard (the Florida man whose dismissed cancer lawsuit first triggered fireworks in 1993), Dr. Henry Lai, Dr. Ross
Adey and a Canadian man who successfully fought for the removal of an antenna on the roof of his child’s school and
one inside a cross atop the church across the street from the school.
For balance, Fifth Estate ace interviewer Victor
Malarek put CTIA’s Jo-Anne Basile on the hot seat. Basile, point person on health and safety for CTIA and for the new
global WIN forum, did an admirable job espousing the party line and fielding tough questions.
So then, what is the
status of mobile phone bioeffects research in the U.S.? Federal regulators met with WTR Chairman George Carlo last
week for an update on his research. Carlo was to reveal some preliminary data earlier this month at a conference here,
but it was postponed and moved to Long Beach, Calif., where the Bioelectromagnetics Society meeting is set for June
21-24.
The Food and Drug Administration, which has primary jurisdiction over mobile phone safety, remains in
limbo. Dr. Elizabeth Jacobson, who’s been monitoring WTR as deputy director of the Center for Devices and
Radiological Health at FDA, likely will not have time for the same level of oversight after she succeeds Bruce
Burlington soon as acting head of the CDRH.
How then to proceed? To paraphrase the man tossed from the Senate
gallery after blurting out his frustration with the endless, agonizing Clinton impeachment proceeding, “Good God
almighty, do the damn research and get the controversy over with!”
