QuantaDose Press Releases
A Father’s Plea: Restoring Freedom to Protect Our Children from RF Radiation Risks
By John Coates, Founder of RF Safe
“I lost one daughter to a tragic birth defect; now I watch my youngest sit 465 feet from a massive cell tower—yet I’m legally barred from speaking a word about health risks.”
—John Coates
My name is John Coates, and I am the founder of RF Safe. I wish I had never been forced to walk this road. I wish I had known, years ago, that the everyday electronics we all rely on—cell phones, Wi-Fi, and the towers that feed them—might carry risks that go far beyond simple “heating.” But I didn’t know. None of us really did. And I lost my first child, Angel Leigh Coates, to a rare neural tube disorder called anencephaly in 1995.
In the wake of Angel’s passing, I spiraled through grief and questions. Could something have triggered or worsened her condition during pregnancy? I began investigating the science of electromagnetic radiation (EMR)—radiofrequency (RF), microwaves, and magnetic fields—only to discover a world of studies and regulatory gaps few people were talking about. One piece that stood out was a 1997 study by Farrell et al., where they observed EMF-induced abnormalities in chicken embryos. While it’s not the exact defect Angel had, the implication was profound: these developing organisms could be disrupted by levels of EMFs deemed “safe.”
My research—and my desperation to understand—led me to establish RF Safe as a platform to educate others on the potential dangers of RF radiation. I wanted parents, doctors, policymakers—everyone—to see the same scientific data I’d uncovered. Over time, RF Safe grew into a trusted resource with the largest SAR comparison database worldwide and open-source solutions to reduce radiation exposure.
A Painful Déjà Vu
Now, I am the father of a bright seven-year-old girl who sits in a classroom that’s a mere 465 feet from a towering cell antenna. Imagine the gnawing feeling in my stomach every morning as I drop her off, knowing the strong possibility that RF radiation levels could be higher than what prudent science would advise—especially for a growing child. Yet if I try to challenge this tower’s placement on health grounds, I am effectively gagged by law.
That law, hidden away in the Telecommunications Act of 1996, is Section 704. It prevents communities from citing health risks when objecting to cell towers. It is the reason I cannot stand before my local zoning board and say, “This tower is too close—our children’s health might be at stake.” And so, I watch my daughter, who has her whole future ahead of her, sit under this silent shadow of worry every day.
Public Law 90-602 vs. Section 704: A Legal Paradox
- Public Law 90-602 (1968): This forward-thinking legislation mandates that the FDA continuously research electronic-radiation hazards, educate the public on risks, and enforce safety standards.
- Section 704 (1996): This clause, signed by President Bill Clinton, forbids local governments from considering health or environmental concerns when they’re approached about cell towers.
These two laws clash. One says “Study and protect” and the other says “You are not allowed to question.” Our regulatory agencies—particularly the FDA and FCC—stand amid this contradiction, often defaulting to outdated “thermal-only” guidelines from the 1990s.
Consequently, non-thermal risks, such as DNA damage, oxidative stress, and disruption of crucial processes like neural tube formation (the kind of defect that took Angel’s life), remain largely unaddressed in official policy.
Where the FDA Fell Short
According to Public Law 90-602, the FDA should:
- Research any emerging data on EMF and RF risks.
- Educate the public on these findings.
- Implement or push for updated safety standards.
Yet the National Toxicology Program (NTP), which found “clear evidence” of tumor development in rodents exposed to RF radiation, saw further funding cut—rather than expanded. This effectively halted America’s leading research on non-thermal biological effects. And so, we find ourselves in 2025, still relying on 1996 safety standards that consider only whether radiation heats tissue, ignoring decades of science on low-level, chronic exposure.
A Rising Tide of Childhood Disorders
Since the early ’90s, autism rates have climbed from 1 in 150 to 1 in 36 by 2012. ADHD diagnoses, similarly, have skyrocketed. While these conditions have many variables, research increasingly suggests that electromagnetic exposure could be one unexamined factor.
- BioInitiative Report: Over 1,800 studies detail non-thermal RF impacts—DNA strand breaks, neurological disruption, and more.
- Yale’s Prenatal RF Study: Mice exposed to cellphone-level radiation showed hyperactivity and memory deficits resembling ADHD.
- Calcium Channel Research (Dr. Martin Pall): Non-thermal RF can open voltage-gated calcium channels, leading to cellular chaos potentially linked to autism and other neurological conditions.
Our children—especially those with developing brains and thinner skulls—are most at risk. Yet Section 704 ensures we can’t even discuss these concerns in the one place that could change tower placements: local zoning meetings.
My Family’s Reality
Every day, I drive my child to school, pass that massive tower looming over the playground, and drop her off. The pit in my stomach hasn’t gone away since the moment I realized how powerless I am to intervene legally. I’ve experienced the ultimate loss once in my life, burying Angel without ever suspecting that background radiation could play a role. I refuse to believe I should be quiet about a legitimate worry—yet the law demands silence.
“Let me be clear: I am being forced by law to sit back and watch my child be exposed to RF radiation from a cell tower less than 500 feet from her desk without recourse.”
What Must Change: Repeal Section 704
It’s time to remove the unconstitutional clause that muzzles parents and communities:
- Restore First Amendment Rights: Americans must be free to raise health concerns about local infrastructure.
- Honor the Tenth Amendment: Let states and municipalities decide their own zoning regulations, especially when children’s well-being is at stake.
- Enforce Public Law 90-602: Compel the FDA to resume meaningful research, educate the public, and update guidelines in step with modern evidence.
- Revise FCC Standards: Outdated thermal-based rules should factor in non-thermal effects, cumulative exposures, and real-world usage patterns.
Standing for Angel—and Every Child
I founded RF Safe out of heartbreak. I wanted to make sure that no parent would have to endure what I did—burying a child and then later discovering a body of science that might have saved her. Since then, RF Safe has grown into a platform with global reach, championing safer phone designs, open-source innovations, and public awareness.
Yet, it’s not enough if our government actively prevents discussions of health risks where they matter most. My daughter’s desk sits 465 feet from a tower that many experts would say needs a greater safety buffer—but legally, I can’t even cite those experts in a local hearing.
Where to From Here?
- Demand Legislative Action
Write or call your representatives to repeal or amend Section 704. If we can talk about health, we can protect it. - Support Independent Research
Fund or follow organizations that study RF’s non-thermal effects without corporate influence, such as certain university labs and independent research groups. - Practice Safer Technology
- Use wired connections when possible.
- Keep devices away from children’s bodies.
- Power down wireless routers at night.
- Spread Awareness
Share the stories, the science, and the personal toll. Only through collective, informed voices can change happen.
Final Thoughts: A Plea for Accountability
The heartbreak that spurred me to found RF Safe should never have happened. I have accepted the tragedy of losing my first daughter to anencephaly, but I cannot accept a legal framework that forces me to watch my seven-year-old be exposed to possible radiation risks at school without even a forum to speak.
One piece of legislation—Section 704—binds our hands, silences our voices, and denies us our Constitutional rights. Public Law 90-602 once promised vigilance, but it’s rendered toothless when citizens cannot even raise health concerns in public hearings.
As a father, I’m appealing to you—parents, voters, lawmakers, medical professionals—to stand with me. Repeal Section 704. Let us protect our families, uphold the Constitution, and demand that technology serve us safely.
If we value the future of our children, it is time to act. I learned too late with Angel; now I beg you, let us not repeat my family’s sorrow. Make the health of our children non-negotiable.
John Coates
Father, Founder of RF Safe
January 22, 2025
About RF Safe
RF Safe was established in 1998, following the loss of John Coates’s daughter, Angel Leigh Coates, to a neural tube defect. Convinced that electromagnetic radiation (EMR) exposure might pose broader health risks, John founded RF Safe to educate the public and offer practical solutions for reducing RF exposure. Today, RF Safe maintains the world’s largest SAR comparison database and advances open-source RF safety technologies, aiming to protect the most vulnerable—especially children—from overlooked or misunderstood EMR hazards.