Perspective
The safety of laser pointers: myths and realities
| The first 150 words of the full text of this article appear below. |
Over the past few months an increasing number of reports have
appeared in the popular press, describing incidents in which individuals claim to have suffered eye injury as a result of misuse of
laser pointers.1 Such reports usually include a degree of media hype, together with descriptions of unlikely symptoms from indignant victims. The claims and counterclaims of occupational health
and environmental safety agencies unfortunately do not attract the same
degree of media interest or coverage. Motivation for the claims of
individual victims are varied and include fear, ignorance, and perhaps
avarice. Past experiences have shown that many individuals are truly
fearful of the potential consequences of having momentarily viewed a
laser beam and, therefore, seek professional advice or counsel. Other
individuals are ignorant of any potential health effects, but are moved
to seek advice by the group counsel of colleagues. Finally, some
individuals may entertain the hope that litigation
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