By Emilie Raguso

BERKELEYSIDE: The city of Berkeley is considering whether to require local retailers to give out radiation-related safety sheets to cell phone customers who make a purchase.

Last week, a Berkeley City Council majority voted to have city staff come up with language for the new cell phone law. But whether council ultimately will vote to adopt it is unknown.

The cell phone ordinance — brought forward Nov. 18 by council members Max Anderson and Kriss Worthington — would require vendors to hand out an info sheet to consumers to remind them to study up on device-specific safety standards for radio-frequency (RF) energy emissions. Customers could be advised not to hold or carry the phone near the body while using the device, and directed to consult the manual to learn the “recommended separation distance” between the phone and one’s body. Anderson said he has been working on the law for several years.

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