A French health ministry on Wednesday issued a warning against excessive cell phone use, especially by children, though it recognized science had not proved cellular technology was dangerous.The appearance on the market of cell phones designed for young children has raised concern because youngsters would be particularly vulnerable to any possible health effects, the Ministry of Health, Youth, and Sport said in a statement.
"As the hypothesis of a risk cannot be entirely excluded, precaution is justified," the ministry said.
It recommended that children in particular use cell phones in moderation, and advised users on how to reduce their exposure to any possible risk.
"One should use a mobile phone with good judgment, avoid calling when reception is poor or during high-speed travel, and finally, keep the telephone away from sensitive areas of the body by using a hands-free kit," the ministry said.
A November 2006 report from the World Health Organization (WHO) said available evidence suggests
However, the WHO said other studies pointed to an increased risk of tumors in people who have used an analog cell phone for more than 10 years.
A British study released in September 2007 said cell phones did not pose short-term health risks, but scientists noted that studies to date included few participants who had used cell phones for longer than 10 years--the time many cancers take to appear.
The president of France's AFSSET, an independent but state-funded environmental and safety watchdog group, put it simply: parents should not give small children cell phones.
"Since they aren't capable of limiting their use of the telephone, parents should not buy them mobile phones," Michele Froment-Vedrine told Reuters by telephone.
As of September 30, there were more than 53 million cell users in France, about 84 percent of the population, according to the French telecommunications regulator Arcep (Autorite de Regulation des Communications Electroniques et des Postes).
Representatives at Orange, France's largest cell phone operator, were not available to comment.
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