It seems every other day there is a claim in a newspaper or on television that mobile phones could cause harmful health effects. This is followed by the reporting of a new study that gives mobile phones and base stations the all-clear on the health front.

This is confusing for non-expert members of the public who read or see such reports. Who are they to believe? How do they make heads or tails of such claims and counter claims? Should they be concerned about speculative stories that make claims, such as several months ago, that children could be at five times greater risk of getting cancer from using mobile phones or should they rely on bodies such as the World Health Organisation, which says there is no data to suggest that children using a mobile phone is a health hazard.

A British website has acknowledged this confusion, which has left people struggling to weigh up competing claims, and have identified some tools to assist the public in sorting through the confusion to find a clearer picture on this issue. Sense About Science offers a new guide to assist people arrive at a judgement of the respective scientific merit of news headlines and public discussion.

Sense About Science is an independent charitable trust promoting good science and evidence in public debates. It does this by promoting respect for evidence and by urging scientists to engage actively with a wide range of groups, particularly when debates are controversial or difficult.

A new communications web portal, the EMF Explained Series, on health and electromagnetic fields (ELF) has been developed by AMTA in conjunction with two leading international industry associations, the GSM Association (GSMA) and the Mobile Manufacturers Forum (MMF). It can be accessed at www.emfexplained.info

On the front page of this emfexplained, under What’s New, is a section on Sense About Science, which explains how scientific evidence is substantiated through publication of results in reputable international scientific journals that include peer review by appropriately qualified scientists and academics. This ensures research conforms to high standards. If a research result cannot be repeated by other independent researchers doubts are raised about the original finding.