Massachusetts Leads the Nation with Six Bills to Protect Citizens

Contributed by Cece Doucette

(Ashland, MA) Massachusetts legislators have introduced six bills this session to address public exposure to wireless radiation. Lisa Lavine Nagy, M.D., government liaison for the American Academy of Environmental Medicine, explains, “Scientific literature[1] has proven that exposure to wireless radiation is responsible for numerous medical symptoms  and conditions. A landmark study[2] by the National Institute for Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) has proven that DNA damage as well as brain and heart tumors develop in mice exposed to cell phone radiation. Other studies report lowered sperm count[3] in men as well as damage to the fetal brain when a pregnant woman uses the cell phone[4]. A leading autism researcher at Harvard[5] has observed links between wireless radiation exposure and autism.”

The science documenting negative health effects of smart meters[6] and Wi-Fi[7] is also emerging. Many people are already experiencing radiation related symptoms in schools, homes, and workplaces. Effects can include insomnia, headaches, irregular heartbeat, dysautonomia, anxiety, tinnitus (ringing in the ears), tingling, nausea, skin rashes, cognitive impairment, depression, and behavioral issues. Non-industry funded scientists[8] indicate children and fetuses are especially vulnerable.

Says Dr. Nagy, “We must apply the precuationary principle[9] and protect the public from potential harm with safe practices. These practices should be based on new data as well as the health experiences of people worldwide who are using these technologies.

As happened in the case of tobacco, EMFs (electromagnetic fields) are all too slowly being recognized as having negative health impacts. The science on EMFs has existed for decades, and other countries[10] have already established more protective radiation exposure limits. Many physicians in the United States are seeing patients every day with electromagnetic radiation syndrome induced by overexposure in their environment.

The six Massachusetts bills are the first steps in taking action and educating the public on responsible use of today’s technology:

• S.2306 An Act relative to smart meters, emergency preamble
• H.2551 An Act relative to smart meters, emergency preamble
• Resolve S.216 Resolve relative to disclosure of radio frequency notifications
• S.408 An Act relative to best management practices for wireless in schools and public institutions of higher education
• S.1175 An Act prohibiting injurious operations or offering services or products that discriminate against or injure protected classes
• H.2413 An Act recognizing EMS as a disease dangerous to the public health, requiring inclusion in MAVEN, establishing the Massachusetts EMS registry and requiring biennial reporting as part of population health trends

1. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed?term=%22Electromagnetic+Fields/adverse+effects%22%5bMAJR
2. https://docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&pid=sites&srcid=ZGVmYXVsdGRvbWFpbnx1bmRlcnN0YW5kaW5nZW1mc3xneDo0ZjU2MDRlMDY3ZTI3OWU3
3. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22112647
4. http://www.ewg.org/research/cellphoneradiation/executivesummary#.WNnhEipzfHo.mailto
5. http://www.bioinitiative.org/report/wp-content/uploads/pdfs/sec20_2012_Findings_in_Autism.pdf
6. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/?term=%22Electromagnetic+Fields%2Fadverse+effects%22+smart+meters
7. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/?term=Electromagnetic+Fields%2Fadverse+effects+wi-fi
8. https://www.emfscientist.org/
9. http://www.euro.who.int/__data/assets/pdf_file/0003/91173/E83079.pdf
10. https://ehtrust.org/policy/international-policy-actions-on-wireless/