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AUGUSTA, USA - Radiation hazards posed by cellphones and other wireless devices have been in the news for long, and their apparent link to brain cancer is one of the most widely-debated topics in the medical circles.

While the popularity of mobile technology, accompanied by rapid strides in technology and mass production of cell phones has made these devices affordable to common man, not many are aware of the threats posed by these communication devices.

The state of Maine, forming the eastern most part of contiguous US, may not be at the forefront of either economic boom or stringent environment and healthcare laws, but Andrea Boland, the representative of Maine, has persuaded legislative leaders to consider her proposal to put labels on phones and packaging warning of the potential for brain cancer associated with electromagnetic radiation, for discussion during the 2010 session starting in January, in a session which is usually reserved for emergency and governors' bills.

As of now, none of the 50 US states have any legislation requiring the manufacturers to either warn their customers of the looming hazards nor declare the level of radiation exposure the usage these devices lead to. Apart from Maine, a similar legislation is being considered in California, led by Mayor Gavin Newsom who is planning to make San Francisco the first US city to make warning labels compulsory on wireless products.

Though the cancer risk of radiation exposure is well-established, there is no clear consensus among scientists on direct linkage of cellphone usage to brain cancer. Since cellphones penetrated the normal consumer only in the mid 90s, there have been no convincing long-term studies to prove the same. CTIA, the Wireless Association, formerly known as Cellular Telephone Industries Association, an international consortium of various wireless communication sectors, has always relied on views of peer-reviewed scientific evidence and impartial health organisations, and the absence of peer-reviewed scientific evidence on the apparent linkage between brain cancer and cellphone usage has so far prevented the organisation from taking any precautionary measures in this direction.

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