School wi-fi blamed for health problems

Wireless networks have been replacing traditional hard-wired networks and are now being used to provide public wi-fi coverage of entire cities. Both computers and routers (pictured above) emit microwave radiation into the environment. (Photo by Porao / Wikimedia Commons)

Is your school-aged child experiencing some unexplained health symptoms? Perhaps he or she was basically healthy until recently, when the child began to experience headaches, dizziness, nosebleeds, heart irregularities, confusion, changes in attention and concentration, ongoing nausea, exhaustion or sleep problems.

Parents, teachers, principals, administrators and others from all across Canada are becoming gravely concerned about the possible health risks from exposure to microwave wi-fi in schools. In different locations all over the country, petitions are being signed by hundreds of people, asking that schools remain hard-wired. Many of these adults have experienced for themselves the ill effects from wi-fi routers in their homes.

Teachers are witnessing a confusing array of unexplained health symptoms in their classes -– classes that were basically healthy prior to the installation of wi-fi routers in their schools. And the teachers themselves are, in many cases, experiencing those same symptoms as well.

Parents of these children are taking them to different doctors and specialists with no answers forthcoming. In the absence of a proper diagnosis, more and more children are being prescribed anti-depressants and anti-anxiety drugs, while at the same time, their exposure to microwave wi-fi continues.

One woman tells that after Telus had remotely activated a wireless router in her home office without her knowing, she suddenly was beset with daily headaches, dizziness, nausea, sleeplessness, heart arrhythmia, digestive disturbances, painful teeth and gums and total exhaustion. She underwent heart tests after she had excruciating pain down her left arm but there was no indication of heart attack. A neighbour told her about the fact that she now had wireless internet in her home. The woman had Telus shut off the system immediately and her symptoms disappeared almost overnight.

The Simcoe County District School Board in Ontario installed a blanket microwave wi-fi system throughout every school in the district and soon the parents at one of the schools began to report an illness trend involving the childhood symptoms noted above. For over 18 months parents were in and out of doctors’ offices with their children, some symptoms even requiring medical attention. These kids were symptom-free only when they were away from the school. The parents documented their concerns and reported them to the school board, only to be told that Health Canada says wi-fi is perfectly safe.

In a study by the Royal Society of Canada, commissioned by Health Canada in 1999 (updated in 2001), clear evidence was presented that potentially dangerous things happen from microwave exposure. One of the things mentioned was a weakening of the blood-brain barrier which protects us from disease, increasing certain enzymes known to promote cancer and changing behaviour. The blood-brain barrier in children is much thinner than in adults so it takes far less exposure before noticeable damage occurs.

Carol Hughes, MP for Algoma-Manitoulin-Kapuskasing, in an excellent article in the September 5, 2010 edition of the Algoma News ( http://www.thealgomanews.ca/News/Regional/Wi-Fi+Concerns+Should+Lead+To+Updated+Regulations+.str?10262 ) wrote, “Health Canada must tell Canadians the full story when it comes to microwave irradiation of children. What we’re doing by exposing them to all-day Wi-Fi in schools is really a big experiment, with unknowing volunteers.”

If readers are interested in more information, we would refer you to Una St. Clair-Moniz, Executive Director of Citizens for Safe Technology Society. You can contact her at 1-604-532-1863 or visit the society’s website at: http://www.citizensforsafetechnology.org