Instruction Manual

118
For Your Safety
FDA Consumer Update
TheU.S.FoodandDrugAdministration’sCenterforDevicesandRadiological
HealthConsumerUpdateonMobileTablets:
1.Dotabletsposeahealthhazard?
Theavailablescientificevidencedoesnotshowthatanyhealthproblemsareassociated
withusingtablets.
Thereisnoproof,however,thattabletsareabsolutelysafe.TabletsemitlowlevelsofRadio
Frequency(RF)energyinthemicrowaverangewhilebeingused.Theyalsoemitverylow
levelsofRFwheninidlemode.WhereashighlevelsofRFcanproducehealtheffects(by
heatingtissue),exposuretolowlevelRFthatdoesnotproduceheatingeffectscausesno
knownadversehealtheffects.ManystudiesoflowlevelRFexposureshavenotfoundany
biologicaleffects.Somestudieshavesuggestedthatsomebiologicaleffectsmayoccur,
butsuchfindingshavenotbeenconfirmedbyadditionalresearch.Insomecases,other
researchershavehaddifficultyinreproducingthosestudies,orindeterminingthereasons
forinconsistentresults.
2.WhatistheFDA’sroleconcerningthesafetyoftablets?
Underthelaw,theFDAdoesnotreviewthesafetyofradiation-emittingconsumerproducts
suchastabletsbeforetheycanbesold,asitdoeswithnewdrugsormedicaldevices.
However,theagencyhasauthoritytotakeactioniftabletsareshowntoemitRadio
Frequency(RF)energyatalevelthatishazardoustotheuser.Insuchacase,theFDAcould
requirethemanufacturersoftabletstonotifyusersofthehealthhazardandtorepair,
replace,orrecallthetabletssothatthehazardnolongerexists.
AlthoughtheexistingscientificdatadoesnotjustifyFDAregulatoryactions,theFDAhas
urgedthetabletindustrytotakeanumberofsteps,includingthefollowing: