Cell Phone Radiation Labeling Approved
by San Francisco Board of Supervisors 2

San Francisco, California just became the first government body in the world requiring cell phones to be labeled by Specific Absorption Rate (SAR), or radiation level, despite intense lobbying from industry and business representatives up to a key Committee hearing and a “full court press” ahead of last week’s Board of Supervisors Meeting.

The new law will be phased in over the next 2 years, with large formula retailers to be the first to comply, followed by small independent businesses that sell mobile phones.Today’s vote was 10-1 for approval, with Supervisor Sean Elsbernd dissenting.

Supervisor Michela Alioto-Pier had requested a one-week continuance to work out small business concerns and address liability issues. Alioto-Pier offered two amendments to the ordinance today: one specified that retailers found out of compliance would not be subject to criminal penalties; the other clarified that the city was not assuming any liability as a result of this requirement.

For advocate reaction, the dissenter’s view, and a brief expert interview, see KTVU’s TV segment report on the San Francisco cell phone labeling vote.

Findings of the San Francisco Ordinance on Retailers Duty to Disclose Specific Absorption Rate values for cell phones:

(a) Government agencies and scientific bodies in the European Union (EU) and Israel have recognized the potential harm of long-term exposure to radiation emitted from cell phones and, as a result, have issued warnings about their use, especially their use by children.
(b) The United States Federal Communications Commission (“the FCC”) has established a maximum allowable Specific Absorption rate (“SAR”) that manufacturers must disclose to the government when offering a portable wireless device (cell phone) for sale. The SAR is a value that corresponds to the relative amount of radiofrequency energy absorpted in the head or body of a user of a wireless handset. At the time of adoption of this ordinance, the FCC limit for public exposure from cellular telephones is an SAR level of 1.6 watts per kilogram (1.6 W/kg) for spatial peak (local) SAR, such as SAR in the user’s head, as averaged over any 1 gram of tissue.
(c) The SAR values for different makes and models of cell phones differ widely, but consumers are not able to make informed purchasing decisions because there is no requirement that the retailer provide the applicable SAR values to the consumer at the point when the consumer is deciding between various makes and models.
(d) Cell phones are an important communication tool, especially during emergencies, and radiation exposure from cell phones can be reduced by using a speakerphone or a headset, or by sending text messages.