BMJ  2006;333:96 (8 July), doi:10.1136/bmj.333.7558.96-a

Letter

Injury from lightning strike while using mobile phone

Mobile phones are not lightning strike risk

The first 150 words of the full text of this article appear below.

EDITOR—The claim in the letter by Esprit et al, that mobile phones are a risk when used in a storm, is misleading.¹ Although some people speculate that mobile phones pose a risk when used outdoors because lightning is attracted to metal, mobile phone handsets generally contain insignificant amounts of metal.

Following worldwide media interest in the letter, the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) responded, saying lightning is not attracted to people carrying mobile phones: "People are struck because they are in the wrong place at the wrong time. The wrong place is anywhere outside. The wrong time is anytime a thunderstorm is nearby."² The medical profession is well aware of the misinformation on this topic as pointed out by Cooper.³

The types of injury observed in the letter are also well known⁴ and Cooper also points out that no lightning danger is inherent to mobile phones.⁵ . . . [Full text of this article]

Australian Mobile Telecommunications Association (AMTA), Canberra, Australia Chris.Althaus@amta.org.au

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