Brains and mobile phones

doi:10.1136/bmj.332.7546.864

BMJ 2006;332:864-865 (15 April), doi:10.1136/bmj.332.7546.864

Editorial

Brains and mobile phones

The biggest risk to health from mobile phones is using themwhile driving

The first 150 words of the full text of this article appear below.

There are more than 50 million mobile phones in the United Kingdom,and more than 1 billion worldwide. Mobile phones allow peopleto communicate with flexibility and ease. In addition, havinga personal and mobile means of communication has helped to savelives through quicker notification of accidents, trauma, andother dangers.¹ But concerns about the safety of mobile phoneshave been raised.

In 2000 the UK Independent Expert Group on Mobile Phones (IEGMP)published the Stewart report.² The report recommended a programmeof research and a precautionary approach to the use of mobilephones, especially use by children. As a result of the recommendationsa research programme was launched in 2001 with a budget of £7.36m( ${euro}$ 10.5m; $13m), jointly funded by government and industry. Twopapers in this week's BMJ come out of this initiative.^{3 4}

Hepworth and colleagues (p 883) conducted a population basedcase-control . . . [Full text of this article]

Michael Maier, senior clinical lecturer

Division of Neuroscience and Mental Health, Charing Cross Campus, Imperial College, London W6 8RP
(michael.maier@imperial.ac.uk)

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