Ashland woman headed to State House to talk Wi-Fi safety
By Anamika Roy/Daily News
Staff
Posted Jul. 27, 2015 at 9:09
PM
ASHLAND
- In an effort to have 21st century technology in classrooms, districts
are getting tools such as Chromebooks and iPads for students of all ages. For
example, Framingham Town Meeting recently voted to appropriate $1 million for
laptops and network improvements in the school district.
But for the past few
years, an Ashland mother of two has been researching the potential risks of
Wi-Fi radiation and is taking her message to the State House today, before the
Legislature's Joint Committee of Public Health.
Cecelia Doucette, formerly a
grant coordinator for Ashland Public Schools and president of the Ashland
Education Foundation, said she started researching Wi-Fi radiation in 2013.
“There
was just so much evidence of harm out there,” said Doucette.
According to the
National Institute of Health, the average child spends between five to seven
hours a day in front of a screen. Many of those devices have an Internet
connection.
In a letter submitted to the World Health Organization and
United Nations in May, 190 scientists from 39 countries asked the organizations
to address risks associated with radiation used in wireless communication. Some
doctors in that letter reported documented cases of cancer and reproductive
issues attributed to electromagnetic fields (EMF).
Doucette is working with
state Sen. Karen Spilka, D-Ashland, to pass legislation to create a special
commission to study the health impacts of electromagnetic fields.
Doucette
first made requests to look into Wi-Fi safety to the School Committee in fall
2013.
“We certainly found evidence out there that there is a concern among
many physicians and scientists,” said School Committee Chairwoman Laurie Tosti
on Monday.
However, there is just as much information that suggests the
connection between Wi-Fi radiation and health risks is spotty.
"There
were quite a few people who felt that we didn’t have enough info to make a
decision,” said Tosti, “There was a lot of opposition.”
The World Health
Organization has “concluded that current evidence does not confirm the
existence of any health consequences from exposure to low-level electromagnetic
fields. However, some gaps in knowledge about biological effects exist and need
further research," according to its website.
After Doucette made her
request, the School Committee did its own research and decided to have the
district post signs to raise awareness about best practices for mobile devices.
The signs remind teachers to turn off wireless devices when not in use, turn
Wi-Fi on only when it’s needed and always place mobile devices on a solid
surface.
Doucette also thinks people should use wired devices whenever
possible. In her own home, Doucette’s children have Ethernet cables plugged
into their laptops, she said.
No comments:
Post a Comment