Poll: U.S. cellphone users won't change

NEW YORK, June 18 (UPI) -- Most U.S. consumers say they are not changing cellphone use after a study said extensive use may increase cancer risk, a survey indicates.

The survey, conducted by TNS, indicates that more than 80 percent of U.S. consumers report being aware of the recent news released by the World Health Organization that said extensive long-term use of cellphones may have a possible cancer risk.

The survey asked respondents to identify which behaviors they were most likely to adapt in light of the WHO report:

-- 8 percent say they would decrease the overall usage of their cellphones.

-- 8 percent say they are considering the purchase of a hands free device.

-- 17 percent of respondents acknowledged the WHO report is leading them to use their current hands free device more often.

-- 70 percent say their cellphone behaviors would not change at all.

"The high degree of awareness about the recent news and relatively low rates of change in behavior really demonstrate the ubiquity of mobile usage and its importance in daily life," Charles White, senior vice president at TNS, says in a statement.

"Given the direct correlation between radiation emitted by cell phones and cancer rates remains unclear, I think the risks would need to be much more pronounced to see significant impact on usage."

No survey details were provided.