Monday 17 June 2019

Re: Testimony at the BC Children and Youth with Neuro-diverse Special Needs Committee - June 3, 2019

My name is Janis Hoffmann, founder of Parents for Safe Schools and Vancouver Island Rep for C4ST.  My grandson, who is now 14 years old and has been diagnosed with a chronic health disability, EHS (electro hypersensitivity), also known as microwave sickness.  This means with accumulative and prolonged exposure to microwave radiation emitting from wireless technology, he experiences severe headaches, accompanied with vomiting, extreme fatigue, insomnia and night terrors. 

It was in Grade 2, when T started coming home with severe headaches that corresponded with increasing fatigue and sleeping difficulties. The first few times T was asked to place his finger where it hurt and he would touch the top of his head. But later, as the headaches increasingly became worse to the point of nausea, T was unable to touch the pain, stating it was in the middle of his head.

Our family’s physician recommended Advil and Tylenol to alleviate severe pain, but we knew something was seriously wrong. We were discussing the problem with some parents on the school ground and discovered a Wi-Fi router had been installed in the school just weeks before.

T’s pediatrician requested that T return to school with the Wi-Fi transmitter turned off so he could start a process of elimination to see if the Wi-Fi was giving T the headaches.  Our request to the Sooke School District was denied. We were told they couldn’t turn the Wi-Fi off, (even though there were no wireless devices for the children) because it would set a precedent. If they turned it off for us they would have to turn it off for everyone.

T was unable to complete grade two with his friends and we were dismissed from the Sooke School District.

For the next 4 years T was shuffled around the Victoria and Saanich School District and he had graduated into Middle School where we were assured that there was only 25% coverage, only to discover the school has 100% coverage and able to download 30 laptops from a commercial Wi-Fi router three classrooms away. We were never informed about the Front Row Audio System emitting microwave radiation on another radio frequency and how the students were encouraged to use their cell phones into class.

As a temporary solution T was pulled out of his homeroom and placed in a separate room downstairs. T was really upset, frustrated and angry about being downstairs for 5 hours a day with no contact with any of his peers. He felt he was dumped downstairs and forgotten, left there to do his work on his own. He was frustrated that he could go a day or two with out even having anyone checking on him to see how he’s doing. Imagine, being 11 years old and your only social contact with your peer’s is in a school setting, but you are isolated in a room by yourself.

T entered and exited the school as quickly as possible, keeping his head down to avoid eye contact in fear of being questioned about the situation. T had expressed feelings of embarrassment, humiliation, loneliness, anxiety and is losing hope of ever finding a school where he can make friends.  As part of the school experience students have an opportunity to meet socially and form friendships with others who have common interests. T has a fundamental right to participate and socialize with his peer group and have the opportunity to build life skills that include communication, cooperation, and teammanship. These foundational components help to form a person into their adulthood and extend long beyond school years. T has yet to experience a sense of connectedness and school community that is so crucial for his academic and adult life.

Every attempt to attend school has resulted in another painful injury from the microwave radiation that blankets the inside of the school. T should be provided with reasonable accommodation, affording him inclusion and dignity while building his self- esteem and personal growth, but sadly he has only experienced the burden of isolation.

T is constantly facing barriers and has been denied his right to move freely within the community. All means of transportation, accommodation, education, restaurants, hospitals, entertainment, etc have been saturated with wireless technology with no provisions put in place to accommodate approximately 3 – 10% of Canadians that have been diagnosed with this Environmental Sensitivity.

Parents, teachers and students are frustrated because we have contacted the Provincial Health Officer, Dr. Bonnie Henry, Ministry of Health, Adrian Dix, Deputy Minister of Health, Stephen Brown, Ministry of Education, Rob Fleming, Premier, John Horgan, requesting an official response to the findings of the US National Toxicology Program Expert Panel and the supporting Ramazzini Institute who concluded that there is “Clear Evidence of Carcinogenic Activity” and the association of cancer in the heart and brain and cell phone radiation, only to have our request fall on deaf ears.

If one cell phone causes cancer, then what happens when you enter a school where there is 25 cell phones and 25 chrome books downloading in just one classroom, with multiple commercial Wi-Fi routers, white boards with over head projectors, wireless audio systems, through out the school, surrounded by cell towers, small cells, Wi-Fi hotspots. What are the levels of radiation that our children are experiencing in our classrooms?  Who has put an exposure control plan in place, measuring levels of radiation, educating students and staff of the safe use of wireless products as per the federally mandated safety manual, who is identifying risks, monitoring health and documenting the results? 

It is a SCIENTIFIC FACT that microwave radiation exposure causes biological effects confirming the growing evidence of neurological effects and developmental delays with irreversible health effects, such as Depression, Suicide, Violence, Anxiety, Autism, Addiction, Behavioral Issues, Heart Episodes, Infertility, ADD/ADHD, Compromised Ability to Learn, Headaches, Nose/Ear Bleeds, Brain Fog, Difficulty Concentrating, and Cancer.  As documented in over 28,000 peer reviewed published studies by scientists and medical experts.

This information warrants the solicitation of a current letter, re Wi-Fi safety from Dr. Bonnie Henry to ensure the latest peer reviewed studies and recommendations are being applied to make a sound decision regarding our children’s health and well being. Currently it is mandatory that our children will be exposed to Microwave Radiation from wireless technology with no way to shield themselves from this full body radiation, much like the rats used in these studies.

The School Boards have willfully dismissed all credible health information presented to them from qualified experts, nationally and internationally, which emphasizes children's heightened vulnerabilities and the need for "precautionary" measures to reduce exposure and risk from the harmful effects.

Canada agreed the Precautionary Principle would be implemented when an activity raises threats of harm to human health or the environment, even if some cause and effect relationships are not fully established scientifically. The Precautionary Principle shifts the burden of proof, insisting that those responsible for an activity must vouch for its harmlessness and be held responsible if damage occurs.

The most current letter on file is dated July 2011, from our School Health Officer, Dr. Stanwick, who was unable to provide us with any peer-reviewed studies stating the safety of microwave radiation exposure. Dr. Stanwick instead has shifted “the responsibility for professional oversight” to the Provincial Health Officer. Dr. Stanwick, appears to have no educational background on the biological health effects of RF radiation exposure, yet has endorsed the installation of a known 2b carcinogen listed next to lead, DDT, methyl mercury, chloroform, and car exhaust as an acceptable risk in our schools. It's 2019 and we want to know is Cancer an acceptable risk too?

Health is a Provincial Jurisdiction.  The BC Government has failed to do their due diligence and take immediate action to mitigate the risk by informing the School Boards throughout the province of the established health risks associated with long term exposure to microwave radiation by recommending the use of hard wired connections to access the Internet in our schools. For as little as a one time cost of $500 US dollars, every classroom would be provided with 40 Ethernet ports plus adapters for their wireless devices, costing about $20 per child, a small price to pay compared to brain surgery, chemotherapy, radiation treatments etc. 

By refusing to implement the Precautionary Principal and ignoring the growing body of “clear evidence” of cancer, the mandatory exposure in our schools will ultimately be responsible for the greatest health scandal of our time.

Janis Hoffmann
Victoria BC 


Links and Published Peer-Reviewed Studies about the Biological Effects of Electromagnetic Fields and the Association of the Neurological and Psychological Health Effects children are experiencing in our classrooms.

US National Toxicology Program, November 2018, 384 pages, NTP TR 595, Toxicology and carcinogenesis studies in Hsd: Sprague Dawley SD rats exposed to whole-body radio frequency radiation at a frequency (900 MHz) and modulations (GSM and CDMA) used by cell phones. https://www.niehs.nih.gov/ntp-temp/tr595_508.pdf

“Clear Evidence of Cancer” Concludes U.S. National Toxicology Program Expert Panel on Cell Phone Radiation

Ramazzini Institute, August 2018. Volume 165 pages, Pages 496-503, Report of final results regarding brain and heart tumors in Sprague-Dawley rats exposed from prenatal life until natural death to mobile hone radiofrequency field representative of a 1.8 GHz GSM base station environmental emission.

Ramazzini Study on Radiofrequency Cell Phone Radiation: The World’s Largest Animal Study on Cell Tower Radiation Confirms Cancer Link. https://ehtrust.org/worlds-largest-animal-study-on-cell- tower-radiation-confirms-cancer-link/

The EMF-Portal is an extensive literature database with an inventory of 28,312 publications and 6,355 summaries of individual scientific studies on the effects of electromagnetic fields. https://www.emf- portal.org/en

World Health Organization, WHO, Press Release No. 208, May 2011, 6 pages, IARC Classifies Radiofrequency Electromagnetic Fields as Possibly Carcinogenic to Humans https://www.iarc.fr/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/pr208_E.pdf

EMF Scientists Appeal, May 2015 - Scientists who are urgently calling upon the United Nations and its sub-organizations, the WHO and UNEP, and all U.N. Member States, for greater health protection on EMF exposure.
https://emfscientist.org/index.php/emf-scientist-appeal

Canadian Human Rights Commission recognizes Electromagnetic Hypersensitivity

Precautionary Principle, The conference included the United States, Canada and Europe. https://scienceblogs.com/effectmeasure/2008/01/23/wingspread-statement-on-the-pr

Dr. Riina Bray, Medical Director, Environmental Health Clinic, Women’s College Hospital, Toronto. Testimony before the HESA Committee 2015. https://www.ourcommons.ca/DocumentViewer/en/41-2/HESA/meeting-58/evidence

Published Peer-Reviewed Studies


Genius, Stephen J. and Christopher T. Lipp, "Electromagnetic Hypersensitivity: Fact or fiction?" Science of the Total Environment,STOTEN-13064: Nov. 2011, No. Of Pages 10 https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0048969711012733

Heuser, Gunnar, “Functional brain MRI in patients complaining of electrohypersensitivity after long term exposure to electromagnetic fields,” De Gruyter, Rev Environ Health: 32 (3) May 2017, pages 291-299 https://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/59e5/44918e88cc9b3aa235743591963a5c2f4324.pdf?_ga=2.21278 7028.1316987744.1559426729-2060775152.1559426729 

Marino, Andrew A, et al., “Electromagnetic hypersensitivity syndrome revisited again,” Informa HealthCare, International Journal of Neuroscience, 2013 https://www.researchgate.net/publication/262793335_Electromagnetic_hypersensitivity_syndrome_ revisited_again

Marino, Andrew A. et al., "Response to Letter to the Editor Concerning "Electromagnetic Hypersensitivity: Evidence for a Novel Neurological Syndrome," Informa HealthCare, International Journal of Neuroscience, Dec 2011 https://www.researchgate.net/publication/51886262_Response_to_Letter_to_the_Editor_Concerning_Electromagnetic_Hypersensitivity_Evidence_for_a_Novel_Neurological_Syndrome

Hendendahl, Lena, "Electromagnetic hypersensitivity - an increasing challenge to the medical profession," 30(4) 2015, pages 209-15 https://www.researchgate.net/publication/282036121_Electromagnetic_hypersensitivity_- _an_increasing_challenge_to_the_medical_profession

McCarty, David E., et al., "Electromagnetic Hypersensitivity: Evidence for a Novel Neurological Syndrome," Informa HealthCare, International Journal of Neuroscience,
2011 https://www.researchgate.net/publication/51525452_Electromagnetic_Hypersensitivity_Evidence_fo r_a_Novel_Neurological_Syndrome

Morgan, L. Lloyd, et al., "Why children absorb more microwave radiation than adults: The consequences," Journal of Microscopy and Ultrastructure, June 2014 2 pages
197-204 https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2213879X14000583

Hedendahl, Lena K. et al., "Measurements of Radiofrequency Radiation with a Body-Borne Exposimeter in Swedish Schools with Wi-Fi," Frontiers in Public Health Vol 5 Article 279, Sept. 2017 https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpubh.2017.00279/full

Bioinitiative Working Group, Bioinitiative 2012: A Rationale for a Biologically-based
Exposure Standard, 2012 & 2014, Section 1, Preface, pages 1-3, Section 11 Table of
Contents, pages 1-5, Section 1, Summary for Public, 2014, Section 2, Statement of the Problem, 2007, https://bioinitiative.org/wp-content/uploads/pdfs/BioInitiativeReport-RF-Color-Charts.pdf

Herbert, M.R. and Sage, C. “Autism and EMF? Plausibility of a Pathophysiological Link”. Part 1:Pathophysiology , 2013, Jun;20(3):191-209, Pubmed abstract for Part 1. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0928468013000370

Herbert, M.R. and Sage, C. “Autism and EMF? Plausibility of a Pathophysiological Link”. Part II: Pathophysiology, 2013 Jun;20(3):211-34. Epub Pubmed abstract for Part II. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0928468013000382

Wen Y, Alshikho MJ, Herbert MR (2016)Pathway Network Analyses for Autism Reveal Multisystem Involvement, Major Overlaps with Other Diseases and Convergence upon MAPK and Calcium Signaling. PLoS ONE 11(4): e0153329. doi:10.1371/journal.pone. 0153329 https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0153329
 
Ahuja et al., Autism: An epigenomic side-effect of excessive exposure to electromagnetic fields International Journal of Medical and Medical Sciences Vol. 5(4), pp. 171-177, April (2013) https://academicjournals.org/article/article1378991538_Ahuja%20et%20al.pdf

Hardell, Lennart, "World Health Organization, radiofrequency radiation and health - a hard nut to crack (Review)," International Journal of Oncology
51, June 2017, 405-413 https://www.spandidos-publications.com/ijo/51/2/405

Kaplan, Suleyman, et al., “Electromagnetic field and brain development,” Journal of Chemical Neuroanatomy 75 Nov. 2015 pages 52-61 https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0891061815000952

Pall, Martin L., "How to Approach the Challenge of Minimizing Non- Thermal Health
Effects of Microwave Radiation from Electrical Devices," International Journal of Innovative Research in Engineering and Management Oct. 2015 Vol. 2, Issue 5 https://www.researchgate.net/publication/283017154_How_to_Approach_the_Challenge_of_Minimizing_Non_Thermal_Health_Effects_of_Microwave_Radiation_from_Electrical_Devices

Pall, Martin L., "Microwave frequency electromagnetic fields (EMF's) produce widespread neuropsychiatric effects including depression," Journal of Chemical Neuroanatomy 75, Aug. 2015 pages 43-51 https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0891061815000599

Pall, Martin L., "Scientific evidence contradicts findings and assumptions of Canadian Safety Panel 6: microwaves act through voltage-gated calcium channel activation to induce biological impacts at non-thermal levels, supporting a paradigm shift for microwave/lower frequency electromagnetic field action," De Gruyter, Rev Environ Health 30(2): April 2015 pages 99-116 https://www.researchgate.net/publication/275052209_Scientific_evidence_contradicts_findings_and_assumptions_of_Canadian_Safety_Panel_6_Microwaves_act_through_voltage-gated_calcium_channel_activation_to_induce_biological_impacts_at_non-thermal_levels_s

Pall, Martin L., "Wi-Fi as a Very Substantial Threat to Human Health," Feb. 2017

Sage, Cindy, Child Development, Electromagnetic Fields, Pulsed Radiofrequency Radiation, and Epigenetics: How Wireless Technologies May Affect Childhood Development. 2017, Volume 00, Number 0, Pages 1-8 https://eliant.eu/fileadmin/user_upload/de/pdf/Sage_Burgio_Childhood_2017_Epigenetics.pdf

Pall, Martin L. “Electromagnetic fields act via activation of voltage-gated calcium channels to produce beneficial or adverse effects.” Journal of cellular and molecular medicine 17.8 (2013): 958- 965. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/242331926_Electromagnetic_fields_act_via_activation_of _voltage-gated_calcium_channels_to_produce_beneficial_or_adverse_effects

Panagopoulos, Dimitris J. et al., "Polarization: A Key Difference between Man-made and Natural Electromagnetic Fields, in regard to Biological Activity," Scientific Reports, Sept. 2015 https://www.nature.com/articles/srep14914
 
Varghese, Rini et al., Rats exposed to 2.45GHz of non-ionizing radiation exhibit behavioral changes within creased brain expression of apoptotic caspase 3, Elsevier, Pathophysiology25 (2018) 19-30 https://www.pathophysiologyjournal.com/article/S0928-4680(17)30052-4/pdf

Boumosleh, Jocelyne, et al., Depression, anxiety, and smartphone addiction in university students- A cross sectional study. Plos One August 2017 https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0182239

Zhang, Jun-Ping et al., Environmental Research and Public Health, Effects of 1.8 GHz Radiofrequency Fields on the Emotional Behavior and Spatial Memory of Adolescent Mice. November 2017, 14 pages
  https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5707983/pdf/ijerph-14-01344.pdf

Click here for a Research Compilation on Cell phone Radiation, Behavior and Brain Development Compiled by Dr. Hugh Taylor of Yale Medicine https://ehtrust.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/TaylorPASSession.pdf

Naval Medical Research Institute Research Report, June 1971. Bibliography of Reported Biological Phenomena (“Effects”) and Clinical Manifestations Attributed to Microwave and Radio-Frequency Radiation. Report No. 2 Revised. https://apps.dtic.mil/dtic/tr/fulltext/u2/750271.pdf

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