SAN FRANCISCO (AP) San Francisco's attempt to wade into the hotly debated relationship between cell-phone use and long-term health effects was delayed for at least a week Thursday and possibly much longer.
City attorneys agreed to U.S. District Court Judge William Alsup's request to put off implementing the new law that would require city retailers selling cell phones to hang posters, put stickers on products and hand-out brochures discussing radiation emissions and possible health effects.
The judge asked for the delay until ruling on the industry's request for an injunction while he considers its lawsuit challenging the law. The law was to go in effect on Tuesday. Alsup said he would rule on the industry's request for an injunction ``within a week.''
San Francisco Supervisors voted 10-1 in 2010 for the first-in-the-nation law that was to go in effect on Tuesday after previous delays prompted by an industry lawsuit.
During a hearing Thursday in San Francisco federal court, the judge appeared skeptical of San Francisco's contention that long-term cell phone use could lead to serious health problems such as tumors and cancer.