Smart meters have caused health problems throughout the United States. In May 2011, the World Health Organization determined that radiofrequency electromagnetic fields emitted from wireless devices are a class 2B possible human carcinogen, in the same class as lead, DDT, and chloroform. The American Academy of Environmental Medicine opposes the installation of wireless smart meters based on the current medical literature. People across the United States with AMI smart meters on their homes are reporting ringing in the ears, insomnia, strong headaches, nausea, heart palpitations, memory loss, anxiety and pain which began occurring after smart meters were installed. For someone who has electrosensitivity smart meters contribute to the adverse health effects of this condition.
Since smart meters are a new technology, there is no scientific literature about the health risks of these devices. But in a memo about smart meters from Poki Stewart Namkung, M.D. Health Officer at the Santa Cruz Health Services Agency to the Santa Cruz County Board of Supervisors, Dr. Namkung stated, “evidence is accumulating on the results of exposure to RF at non-thermal levels including increased permeability of the blood-brain barrier in the head (Eberhardt 2008), harmful effects on sperm, double strand breaks in DNA which could lead to cancer genesis (Phillips, 2011), stress gene activation indicating an exposure to a toxin (Blank, 2011), and alterations in brain glucose metabolism (Volkow, 2011).”
Wireless smart meters are capable of interfering with implanted medical devices. According to Gary R. Olhoeft SBEE and SMEE (MIT) and Ph.D. (Physics, University of Toronto), and current Professor of Geophysics at Colorado School of Mines, smart meters can interfere with sensitive medical implants such as deep brain stimulators for Parkinson’s disease and pacemakers. He has experienced this type of interference and set up his home to minimize RF exposure. During a Black Hat security conference in August 2011, a security researcher who has diabetes demonstrated on stage how a third party can transmit wireless commands to remotely disable his insulin pump. The pump accepted and followed commands from any wireless source.
