The work of the doctor will, in the future, be ever more that of an educator, and ever less that of a man who treats ailments. By - Lord Horder
Less than a century ago it was not uncommon or doctors to advised patients to use cigarette smoking as an aid in weight control. The idea that inhaling tobacco smoke was harmful was regarded as alarmist, ridiculous and almost superstitious. Now smoking is universally recognized as deadly, causing lung and several other cancers, heart disease and other serious diseases. In hindsight we now shake our heads at our earlier stupidity.
In a short time, a technological and cultural revolution called the Wireless Age has exploded worldwide. In 2011 there were over 5.6 billion cellular telephones in use by almost 80% of the worlds inhabitants. Not to be left out, Jamaica ranks high in its addiction to the use of this electronic marvel. Here, everyone seems to have at least one cell phone. But are cell phones safe or are they the cigarettes of the new millennium?
At last after years of denials, in 2011, no less an authority than the World Health Organization (WHO) admitted that mobile phone use can be dangerous to your health. Yes an active cell phone held next to your head can give you brain cancer. A special WHO team, the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), reached this conclusion after reviewing several studies on cell phone safety. It found evidence of an increased incidence of brain cancer in mobile phone users. Sadly, cancer is not the only danger that cell phone users face.
Cell phones are highly compact ultrahigh- frequency transceivers that just happen to be situated directly at your head when the device is in use. Two decades ago, Dr George Carlo, a public health scientist, was commissioned by the cell phone industry to conduct research that would reassure the public about the safety of their products. His studies however began revealing worrying dangers and he was dismissed and the project stopped.