San Francisco to Force Radiation Disclosures for Cell Phones
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Bernard Toussaint, originally from Port-au-Prince, Haiti, tries to reach his mother in Haiti on his cell phone in New York, Wednesday, Jan. 13, 2010. The International Red Cross says a third of Haiti's 9 million people may need emergency aid and that it would take a day or two for a clear picture of the damage to emerge from Tuesday afternoon's magnitude-7.0 earthquake. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig) (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)
SAN FRANCISCO -- San Francisco could soon start requiring retailers to post notices showing how much radiation is emitted by the cell phones they sell.
The Board of Supervisors on Tuesday voted 10-1 to give preliminary approval to the ordinance, which would require stores to provide each phone's "specific absorption rate" -- a measure of radiation registered with the Federal Communications Commission.
Mayor Gavin Newsom is expected to sign the legislation into law after a 10-day comment period and a final vote by the board.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Supervisor Sophie Maxwell, chief sponsor of the legislation, says it's about "helping people make informed choices."
But cell phone industry representatives say the measure could mislead consumers into believing that some cell phones are safer than others.