big impact on health. The UK government was criticised for this approach when it insisted that BSE was not a health risk: the then minister responsible went on TV saying he would give his daughter a beef burger. Later it was widely agreed that the government's advice was precipitous and it had put its wish to avoid the economic effects of a public panic before public protection. Read more about this story... Similarly during the World War I as evidence mounted that smoking was doing harm, the government gave out cigarettes to soldiers in their kit bags. Even as the consensus about the dangers of smoking became established, the Macmillan government denied the effects. Read more ... There are many other examples where governments have delayed in raising the alarm. It could take another 20 years or more to know for sure whether mobile phones and wireless technology are safe or unsafe. We believe that where health effects could be serious, the responsible approach where there is any material risk of damage is to warn the public so they can make informed choices. If lives are at stake governments should not wait until the risk of damage has been proven beyond doubt, but should raise the alarm once all the information available indicates that serious damage is possible so the public can make informed choices. Why don't we hear about this risk from the media? It is hard for the media to interpret the confused messages. Few journalists have scientific