AAEM on WiFi in schools
Letter from the American Academy of Environmental Medicine to the Los Angeles Unified School District re. the proposal to install Wi-FI in Los Angeles schools
American Academy of Environmental Medicine
6505 E Central “’ Ste 296 “’ Wichita, KS 67206
Tel: (316) 684-5500 “’ Fax: (316) 684-5709
www.aaemonline.org
March 19, 2013
Los Angeles Unified School District
333 S Beaudry Ave #24
Los Angeles, CA 90017
The American Academy of Environmental Medicine comprises Medical Doctors, Osteopaths and PhD researchers focusing on the effects of environmental agents on human health. For forty years the Academy has trained Physicians to treat the most difficult, to heal patients who are often overlooked by our medical system because the cause of their illness is a chemical, solvent, or toxic metal, not a bacteria, virus or other traditionally understood cause.
In recent years our members and colleagues have reported an increase in patients whose symptoms are reversible by eliminating wireless radiating devices in their homes such as cell phones, cordless phones and wireless internet systems.
There is consistent emerging science that shows people, especially children are affected by the increasing exposure to wireless radiation. In September 2010, the Journal of the American Society for Reproductive Medicine “ Fertility and Sterility reported that only four hours of exposure to a standard laptop using WiFi caused DNA damage to human sperm.
In May 2011, the World Health Organization elevated exposure to wireless radiation, including WiFi, onto the Class 2b list of Carcinogens. In October 2012, the AAEM issued a public warning about WiFi in schools that
stated:
“Adverse health effects from wireless radio frequency fields, such as learning disabilities, altered immune responses, and headaches, clearly exist and are well documented in the scientific literature. Safer technology, such as use of hardwiring, is strongly recommended in schools.”
In December 2012, the American Academy of Pediatrics “ representing 60,000 pediatricians, wrote to Congress requesting it update the safety levels of microwave radiation exposure especially for children and pregnant women.
The WiFi systems in schools are typically hundreds of times more powerful than the home consumer systems you may be familiar with. They are also dozens of times more powerful than the cafe and restaurant systems you may have been exposed to. The WiFi systems in schools are necessarily more powerful than any microwave communication systems in any other setting because they are required to run hundreds of computers simultaneously. [Comment from Magda Havas: The Wi-Fi routers at schools are MUCH more powerful than those at home. Indeed the Wi-Fi industry advertises them as “industrial” strength. Have a look at my school Wi-Fi video and it shows you how they are advertised by the industry.
www.youtube.com/magdahavas ]
Routers have to penetrate thick school walls and that requires more power.
Teaches who have measured Wi-Fi routers in classrooms get very high readings compared to home models. Levels of microwave radiation are higher than 100 meters from cell towers!They are also exposing children “ the most vulnerable to microwave radiation “ to extended periods all day, for their entire childhood. This is an unprecedented exposure with unknown outcome on the health and reproductive potential of a generation.
To install this system in Los Angeles risks a widespread public health question that the medical system is not yet prepared to answer.
In October 2013, the AAEM is organizing an international medical conference in Phoenix AZ to teach doctors how to identify patients whose symptoms can be reversed by eliminating exposure to WiFi, cell phones and other forms of wireless radiation in the home. It is unlikely that there are currently enough doctors in Los Angeles County familiar with the biological effects of microwave radiation to diagnose and treat the numbers of children who will potentially become symptomatic from exposure to your wireless system should you elect to install it. Statistics show that you can expect an immediate reaction in 3% of your students and time”delayed reactions in 30% of them. This will also include teachers.
The American Academy of Environmental Medicine suggests strongly that you do not add to the burden of public health by installing blanket wireless internet connections in Los Angeles schools. Hardwired internet connections are not only safer, they are stronger, and more secure. Children who are required by law to attend school also require a higher level of protection than the general public. You may be directed by technology proponents that the science on the human health effects of WiFi is not yet certain. This uncertainty is not a reason to subject a generation of children to such extreme exposure. Rather, it is the foundation upon which caution must be exercised to prevent a potential public health disaster.
While technicians and sales staff argue about the validity of the dangers posed by cell towers, cell phones, WiFi and other forms of wireless radiation, it is the doctors who must deal with the fall out. Until we, as doctors, can determine why some of our patients become debilitationly sick from WiFi and other microwave communications, while others do not, we implore you not to take such a known risk with the health of so many children who have entrusted you to keep
them safe while at school.
Respectfully,
The Executive Committee of the American Academy of Environmental Medicine
Also see related article on why the LA School Board wants to go wireless:
And: http://blogs.edweek.org/teachers/living-in-dialogue/2013/03/who_will_the_los_angeles_schoo.html
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