San Francisco Board approves law on cellular radiation

The supervisory board of the city on Tuesday approved a new law, which mandates that retailers who sell cellular disclose the amount of radiation emitted by every phone they offer.

The board voted 10-1 to pass the first ordinance of its kind that requires stores to disclose the specific absorption rate (SAR, for its acronym in English) of their phones.
The measure is supported by Mayor Gavin Newsom, who enacted his signature within 10 days.

However, opponents say the city is reacting to an unfounded concern about the radiation cell. The question of whether the radiation generated by cell phones can cause cancer or other health problems remains a matter of debate among scientists.

Proponents of the measure are confident that labels with the radiation levels will deter consumers from buying devices that emit much of it, while science clarifies the doubts.