Conservative MP Terence Young says the Canadian wireless industry is misleading Canadians about the potential health effects of their cellphones and Wi-Fi routers.
Young, an MP from Oakville, Ont., has introduced a private member's bill in Parliament that will require safety warnings on all wireless products sold in Canada, because the World Health Organization has declared that they might cause cancer.
"Warnings for safe use are already buried in the fine print of every device manual," said Young. "But a spokesman, for both Bell and Telus, has publicly responded to my bill by saying there is 'no health risk.' That is wrong and they know it's wrong. They're behaving like the tobacco industry did before scientists agreed that cigarettes cause lung cancer."
Young pointed out that just last week the French national government passed a similar law requiring safety restrictions on all cellphone packaging and advertising.
"In France it's now illegal to have Wi-Fi in day care centres, and the blanket Wi-Fi systems we put in Canadian schools are now restricted in French primary schools," said Young.
Young has received early support from across Canada and across party lines for his bill, which will carry fines of $1,000 per day for any retailer who sells wireless devices without displaying health warnings.
The bill is applauded by former Microsoft Canada president Frank Clegg who agrees that the wireless industry is misleading Canadians about the safety of their products.
"To state that there is 'no demonstrated public health risk' is simply not true," said Clegg who is now CEO of Canadians for Safe Technology. "It's well known in our industry that cellphones and Wi-Fi routers are a cancer risk. The wireless industry is being a poor corporate citizen on this issue. They are warning us in fine print, then denying the warnings in public."
Young, an MP from Oakville, Ont., has introduced a private member's bill in Parliament that will require safety warnings on all wireless products sold in Canada, because the World Health Organization has declared that they might cause cancer.
"Warnings for safe use are already buried in the fine print of every device manual," said Young. "But a spokesman, for both Bell and Telus, has publicly responded to my bill by saying there is 'no health risk.' That is wrong and they know it's wrong. They're behaving like the tobacco industry did before scientists agreed that cigarettes cause lung cancer."
Young pointed out that just last week the French national government passed a similar law requiring safety restrictions on all cellphone packaging and advertising.
"In France it's now illegal to have Wi-Fi in day care centres, and the blanket Wi-Fi systems we put in Canadian schools are now restricted in French primary schools," said Young.
Young has received early support from across Canada and across party lines for his bill, which will carry fines of $1,000 per day for any retailer who sells wireless devices without displaying health warnings.
The bill is applauded by former Microsoft Canada president Frank Clegg who agrees that the wireless industry is misleading Canadians about the safety of their products.
"To state that there is 'no demonstrated public health risk' is simply not true," said Clegg who is now CEO of Canadians for Safe Technology. "It's well known in our industry that cellphones and Wi-Fi routers are a cancer risk. The wireless industry is being a poor corporate citizen on this issue. They are warning us in fine print, then denying the warnings in public."
