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No need to re-cap Rollo we got it first time but I was talking about Turkey who are not to my knowledge as yet in the EU. No doubt you have a last word for us though.
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To recap. You can have all the laws and regulations in the world they will not make any difference on the street without enforcement. Laser pens for legal sale in the EU are unlikely to cause long term loss of sight.
https://bjo.bmj.com/content/82/11/1335
However obtaining powerful laser pens illegaly imported is easy peasy and nothing much is being done about it. If and when it causes a pileup on the M6 or a plane crash I guess attitudes will harden.
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Idiot adults know exactly what they are doing when using lasers, children probably won't have a clue re the damage they can cause.
This is police guidance:
Owning a laser pen is not an offence, they are generally used by lecturers to highlight points when making a presentation. The vast majority of shop-bought laser pens will be relatively weak; meaning that exposure to the beam of such products would not result in an eye injury.
The website in 'Related Information' explains the different classes of lasers; classification based upon the power of the laser in question. There are no specific UK laws relating to laser pointers, however, the Health Protection Agency suggests that no laser pens more powerful than Class 2 be available for general sale, due to their potential to cause injury.
Whilst owning a laser pen is not illegal, if a person had one in the street and was using it (or intending to use it) to shine in people eyes, at cars or aircraft etc. then they would be committing an offence and, in the case of cars and aircraft, a particularly serious offence. They may also be personally liable to a Community Protection Notice for anti social behaviour, namely unreasonable behaviour of a persistent or continuing nature which has a detrimental effect on the quality of life of those in the locality.
This is worth reading:
https://www.theargus.co.uk/news/15812896.new-laws-mean-shining-laser-pen-could-land-you-in-jail-for-five-years/
Controls may be in place (or still being integrated) into local authority rules and regs for venues that previously have seen the use of lasers but these same controls do not exist in all countries.
It's truly scary that someone's sight can be compromised or lost by the use of what some consider to be a 'toy'
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Rollo this was mainly because the lasers are freely available there for children to use. Some parents may think they are not as bad as the ones warned about in UK because they are sold for children's discos.
But I agree, something should be done here to stop them being freely available as invariably they are going to fall into the wrong hands.
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Thanks for the warning information.
I'm an occasional attender at the same Exeter eye clinic - a well respected & professional establishment.
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This is a Europe wide problem - it is very easy to purchase 303 1000mw colored lasers. The Home Office, goaded by the CAA, is v aware .
Meanwhile the chances of eye injuries are as great out clubbing in the UK as Turkey. One current UK "fashion" is toi shine powerful illegal pens imported from China from railway and motorway bridges.
Import enforcement at Felixstowe etc is next to non existant.
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Places where they have childrens discos. Please read the following and be aware.
taken from Face Book:
So I’m in utter shock but I’m writing this to raise awareness to all parents.
Alfie (my son) went to Spec savers recently (31/08/19) to have a normal check up aswell as my self. I’m pretty hot on check ups (Dentist,Hearing,Eyes) Alfie has them yearly.
On this particular check up the opticians they found something in the back left eye ball (white cloud type thing) So they referred us to Exeter Hospital Devon Eye Clinic, so today (17/09/19) we attended his appointment, with lots off tests/scans/eye drops ... 4hours later we seen a consultant. We sat down anxiously waiting to hear what the results was, the consultant said “Have you been on Holiday recently?” My reply “ Yes Turkey in May halfterm” He then continued to ask has Alfie been in contact with any lasers ....
I had to think ?? “Yes at Turkey they had evening kids discos and entertainment, and there was 10+ kids running around with these lasers that you could buy at the hotel shop, there where lots of kids running around at this disco as young at 3/4 years old holding them”
Consultant said “ Well Iv seen this 3/4 times in the last few years, the lasers should be banned, This Miss Hole is what has cause this (Scare) small hole in Alfie’s left eye.!!
I’m absolutely shocked, feeling slightly sick and nearly in tears... Consultant said “ Alfie has been caught in his eye with one off these green lasers lucky only for seconds and Alfie is VERY lucky he hasn’t lost his eye sight in the left eye.”
There’s nothing to help or get rid off this scar but we have to go back in 6months to check is hasn’t worsened, but hopefully the consultant said it won’t get worse but it will be with him the rest off his life!
The Consultant has very kindly wrote a report/letter for me to send to TUI and the hotel where they are selling this horrible/ dangerous laser to raise awareness.
As a mum on holiday you let your kids run around with other kids and when you see lasers/toys (small pen like lasers) like this you think and you would expect them to be safe because they are selling them at the 5* Hotel we was in, but how wrong that was, this small €14 Euro lasers pen they was selling at the shop , could off caused my sons left eye to go blind!!!
The picture below is off my sons left eye and Iv circled which it’s quite obvious where the scar is.
If I can help one child eyes by sharing this making big awareness on the green pen lasers on how dangerous they are.
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