MOTOROLA DENIES HEALTH RISK CELLULAR PHONES CITED IN FLA. DEATH

                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: TUESDAY, January 26, 1993                   TAG: 9301260090
SECTION: BUSINESS                    PAGE: A7   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: Associated Press
DATELINE: NEW YORK                                LENGTH: Medium
MOTOROLA DENIES HEALTH RISK CELLULAR PHONES CITED IN FLA. DEATH
Motorola Inc. on Monday denied claims that cellular telephones pose health risks and company executives said they were confident a lawsuit against a major competitor would have no impact on sales.
Dr. Edward Staiano, president of the Motorola division that makes cellular phones, said studies by the company and independent researchers indicated "no existence of health risks from use of cellular telephones."
Motorola, in a highly unusual move, held a telephone news conference for dozens of journalists across the country in a bid to quell controversy over allegations by cellular users last week on national television that the devices gave them or relatives brain cancer.
Cellular phone transmitters operate at extremely high frequencies. It has long been known that these electomagnetic waves can cause heat damage to human bodies if emitted at hundreds to thousands of watts of power.
While cellular phones operate at only a half-watt to 3 watts, little research involving humans has been done on possible health risks from the devices. Motorola acknowledged that research it sponsored on the possible cancer-causing effects of high-frequency waves was done only on human tissue.
The health-hazard claims, whether real or imagined, are seen as damaging to the multibillion dollar industry if not put to rest quickly. The phones are used by 10 million people.
Although Motorola, the largest maker of cellular phones, has not been named in any lawsuits related to the devices, it took the lead to refute the cancer claims after industry stocks were battered Friday. Share prices of most cellular phone makers and carriers rose Monday.
David Reynard of St. Petersburg, Fla., said last week on CNN's "Larry King Live" he was suing phone maker NEC America and a GTE subsidiary, GTE Mobilnet. Reynard alleged his wife died of a brain tumor that developed where she held the phone to her head.

by Bhavesh Jinadra by CNB