A civic group urged the government yesterday to take action to dissuade children and teenagers from using mobile phones because of health concerns.
The Taiwan Electromagnetic Radiation Hazard Protection and Control Association (TEPCA) presented results of a survey on child and teenager cellphone use, along with information about the levels of electromagnetic radiation produced by cellphones marketed in Taiwan.
The survey, conducted last month and this month among children and teens aged six to 18, found that 34.4 percent of polled elementary school students, 67 percent of junior high school students and 89.6 percent of senior high school students used cellphones.
Based on the survey, the association, a non-governmental organization promoting legislation to restrict the impact of electromagnetic radiation on public health, estimated that around 2.2 million children and teenagers nationwide have their own mobile phones.
The survey also found that the older respondents talked longer on the phone, estimating that 390,000 young cellphone users speak on the phone for at least five minutes per call on average and 170,000 speak for more than 10 minutes per call.
Meanwhile, tests on the electromagnetic radiation levels of 33 types of mobile phones showed that more than 60 percent of the handsets emitted electromagnetic radiation 1 million times higher than the background level, or general exposure level to electromagnetic fields.
The association said that many industrialized countries have advised children, teenagers and pregnant women to refrain from using cellphones.
A magnitude 6.4 earthquake struck off the coast of Hualien County in eastern Taiwan at 7pm yesterday, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. The epicenter of the temblor was at sea, about 69.9km south of Hualien County Hall, at a depth of 30.9km, it said. There were no immediate reports of damage resulting from the quake. The earthquake’s intensity, which gauges the actual effect of a temblor, was highest in Taitung County’s Changbin Township (長濱), where it measured 5 on Taiwan’s seven-tier intensity scale. The quake also measured an intensity of 4 in Hualien, Nantou, Chiayi, Yunlin, Changhua and Miaoli counties, as well as
Credit departments of farmers’ and fishers’ associations blocked a total of more than NT$180 million (US$6.01 million) from being lost to scams last year, National Police Agency (NPA) data showed. The Agricultural Finance Agency (AFA) said last week that staff of farmers’ and fishers’ associations’ credit departments are required to implement fraud prevention measures when they serve clients at the counter. They would ask clients about personal financial management activities whenever they suspect there might be a fraud situation, and would immediately report the incident to local authorities, which would send police officers to the site to help, it said. NPA data showed
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The Taipei MRT is to begin accepting mobile payment services in the fall, Taipei Rapid Transit Corp said on Saturday. When the company finishes the installation of new payment units at ticketing gates in October, MRT passengers can use credit cards, Apple Pay, Google Pay and Samsung Pay, the operator said. In addition, the MRT would also provide QR payment codes — which would be compatible with Line Pay, Jkopay, iPass Money, PXPay Plus, EasyWallet, iCash Pay, Taiwan Pay and Taishin Pay — to access the railway system. Currently, passengers can access the Taipei MRT by buying a single-journey token or using EasyCard,
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