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Legislator Wants Cancer Warnings For Cell Phones

Posted by Soulskill on from the reading-this-may-give-you-cancer dept.

Cytalk writes "A Maine legislator wants to make the state the first to require cell phones to carry warnings that they can cause brain cancer, although there is no consensus among scientists that they do and industry leaders dispute the claim. The now-ubiquitous devices carry such warnings in some countries, though no US states require them, according to the National Conference of State Legislators. A similar effort is afoot in San Francisco, where Mayor Gavin Newsom wants his city to be the nation’s first to require the warnings."

6 of 314 comments (clear)

  1. Nitrogen Warning by handy_vandal · · Score: 1, Offtopic

    For one of the facilities where I work, I had to take site-specific safety training before they would issue me a key. Included in the training was a note that there "may be nitrogen present in the air". This was included due to LN2 tanks being present in the basement, but it's a sorry state of affairs when you have to warn people that they MAY inhale some nitrogen.

    May be a legitimate concern. LN2 (liquid nitrogen) tanks might leak, causing an asphyxiation hazard.

    Same with helium tanks. Break the valve, and you might suffocate an entire room filled with balloon-twisting clowns and the children they were entertaining ....

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    -kgj
  2. Rapid oxygen displacement by handy_vandal · · Score: 0, Offtopic

    The problem isn’t the nitrogen, though. It’s the lack of oxygen.

    This is true, and I should have stated as much.

    Gas tank leakage (nitrogen, helium, etc.) in a confined space can cause rapid oxygen displacement. Lack of oxygen causes suffocation.

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    -kgj
  3. Mythbusters confirmed it spectacularly..... by Ellis+D.+Tripp · · Score: 1, Offtopic

    They used a rig that would cleanly sever the valve from a compressed air tank that was laying on the ground, simulating the frequent stories of a welding tank that gets knocked over, snapping the valve off in the fall.

    The tanks performed EXACTLY as claimed, shooting across the floor at high speed, and punching cleanly through a cement block wall.

    There is a metric buttload of stored energy in a high pressure gas cylinder...

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    Remember "News for Nerds, Stuff that Matters"? Help make it a reality again! http://soylentnews.org
  4. Re:the sky is falling! by lenester · · Score: 0, Offtopic

    With who? Looks to me like you're the only one who responded. :)

    Hell, from what I've seen, Ron Paul would probably wear it if a non-profane word were substituted.

  5. A better warning would be... by happy_place · · Score: 0, Offtopic

    Don't DRIVE A CAR and text/play with your cellphone!!! PLEAZZZE! My wife and I have a new game, we count the number of cars we pass or observe toying with their cellphones. Some days it's EVERY OTHER CAR!? Car accidents do kill people. Getting in an accident due to this would ruin your life. Turns out, every accident that occurs... is... accidental--meaning no one planned on doing it. Why take the risk? At least pull over somewhere. Sigh... I know, I know... offtopic whining. :)

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    http://www.beanleafpress.com
  6. The big one by rhook · · Score: 0, Offtopic

    The big one needs to hit and make San Francisco fall into the Pacific, that city does more harm to this nation than one can imagine.