FDA wants to restrict green & blue laser pointers as "defective"

This is so sad, a government that was founded on the belief that truth and righteous existed and needed to be sought after. Is now using lies and deceit to get there way. OH how the mighty have fallen. So so sad. Edit-------- what's worse it seems their not ashamed, and they don't care who knows it. Unaccountable.

Ape mind is rising to the top.

As pmurph5 said: "I should remind everyone that FDA probably does not monitor or read this forum. You can discuss all you want here but your comments/input/suggestions etc. will not get to FDA.

If you want to contact FDA, try their consumer information contact webpage. The DICE people either can take your comment directly or can tell you who to contact further."

I'll put it in blunt terms. Moaning and groaning and bitching ain't gonna accomplish a thing, so get off your duffs and get involved. Do nothing and this becomes law, you have no right to complain.

My opinion of LPF is it should be foremost more responsible in promoting laser safety. Perhaps a must read big flashing safety sticky that is required reading with a little " agree to terms of service" check box at the end.

Here's a link to pmurph5's article. US: FDA wants to restrict green and blue laser pointers, calling them "defective" | Laser Pointer Safety - Statistics, laws, and general laser pointer news

In the report by pmurph5 is listed the questions asked of Technical Electronic Product Radiation Safety Standards Committee

What does FDA want to do?
FDA would like to amend the performance standard
to require that laser pointer products must not emit
laser radiation in the visible wavelengths from 400 nm to less than 610 nm (deep violet to orange-red).

Questions for TEPRSSC
1.
What do you think of the laser pointer definition?
2.
In your opinion, did a startle and flash blinding hazard exist when laser pointers were only
available in red?
3.
Does the startle and flash blinding hazard with green and blue laser pointers justify calling
them
“defective”?
4.
What is your opinion regarding the exclusion of wavelengths from 400 to less than 610 nm for laser pointers?

If this goes through it will be cited in courts for other cases. This may be the most dangerous aspect of this angle they are taking. Anything can be conveniently labeled defective. I am sure they will get away with this. It opens the door to many new possibilities.

Thank you for reading the article and going to the FDA document to see the specific questions they were asking of TEPRSSC.

And by extension the questions they are asking of anyone else interested in laser pointer regulations who may want to comment directly to FDA.

Alaskan said:

Our modem governments ethics pale by comparison to the past and are getting worse.

Click to expand...

Yeah, if Hillary wins, claims the supreme court and gets a bunch of strict gun control passed our freedoms in this country will be hanging by a thread. The government is attacking freedom from all angles, and using all kinds of crooked approaches.
-Gun rights are under fierce attack.
-The EPA is using arbitrary CAFE limits to force changes from care manufacturers rather than letting the free market decide how fuel efficient cars should be.
-The DEA is always deciding to arbitrarily ban things such as Kratom by just sticking them in schedule 1 and not looking back. Never mind the fact that it's not even a widely abused drug, and helps lots of people with pain or getting off opiates.
-The EPA has been trying to crush the custom car/diesel tuner market for a while now.
-Idiotic new E-Cig regulations which will just drive people back to smoking cigarettes.
-Apparently now they're trying to ban all blue/green lasers by labeling them as 'defective'. Does it matter that they're not actually defective? Nope. Our government no longer follows legitimate lawmaking procedures.

Hillary represents this big government nanny state crap, and if she's elected I expect us to lose a lot more freedoms over the coming decade or two.

dden4012 said:

If this goes through it will be cited in courts for other cases. This may be the most dangerous aspect of this angle they are taking. Anything can be conveniently labeled defective. I am sure they will get away with this. It opens the door to many new possibilities.

Click to expand...

Absolutely. It sets a HORRIFYING precedent to say the least. What will the FDA arbitrarily ban next by calling it defective? Should we prepare for them to ban unhealthy foods by calling them 'nutritionally defective'? The ways this kind of lawmaking can be abused are endless.

steve001 said:

What does FDA want to do?
FDA would like to amend the performance standard
to require that laser pointer products must not emit
laser radiation in the visible wavelengths from 400 nm to less than 610 nm (deep violet to orange-red).

Click to expand...

I like how they even want to ban yellow laser pointers. Funny, I cannot remember the last time I heard about a pilot being harassed by a 589nm or 593.5nm laser. They're expensive enough that they're out of the price range of the idiots usually.

This is absurd and a gross over-reach of the Food and Drug Administration.

This will be for " laser pointers " not lab lasers or aiming lasers that attach to firearms or laser shows or parts to be incorporated into your device, so maybe it will slow down the knuckleheads who click buy now and behave recklessly and hopefully it can stop there, because if this aircraft antagonizing continues to get worse then something will have to happen, I thought they would be using that window film that attenuates 532 and 445-455nm, but the real problem here is irresponsible people acting carelessly.

I am all in favor of crucifying the offenders who illuminate aircraft intentionally, you would think that would be enough, I wonder how many of these reports are not cockpit illuminations but just scattered beam sightings?

This is why I say if you see or hear an aircraft anywhere, even at great distance, then do not star point just because you are pointing into an open area, without a lens flare hider you still can emit a scattered point source image and who knows if that is being counted.

We have to be extra careful and spread the word to others, we have to put on the kid gloves and not frighten any pilots who may be looking for anything to report just to bring about the end of the problems source.

Then again all 7000+ incidents could be direct cockpit illuminations, I would bet that they are newbie jerks with flebay cheapies, so if that's what they stop and that solves it then it's inconvenient for ready made buyers, but if the problem is allowed to get worse then ????

All I can say is let's all do our part and encourage others to as well.

But I agree, the offenders should be punished, everyone else should be unrestricted.

It's like our guns; they will have to come to my house and take them from me before I give them up. If you take your whole bin full of pointers an drop them off at the local PD you are nuts!

I would never listen to this rule, you can call me a blackhat or rebel whatever but no matter the case... I will be keeping my guns and I will be keeping my lasers. OR I will die trying to keep my guns and etc.

The only laser I own above 5mw is a single cheap 405nm. It is rarely used because everyone I show it to agrees it is difficult to focus on. It's low powered but clearly above 5mw. Likely around 20mw. Enough to see the dot in a lit conference room. Beam is not visible at any time. Not even in the dark unless there is smoke/vapor/fog.

Im just waiting for the people to remake this gov't "of the people, by the people, for the people".
The masses now days lets their rights be crushed and taken without hesitation or objection.
And agreed, come for my guns and I will give them to them, one cartridge at a time.

One of my favorite quotes of all time fits this perfectly.

"First they came for the Socialists, and I did not speak out—
Because I was not a Socialist.

Then they came for the Trade Unionists, and I did not speak out—
Because I was not a Trade Unionist.

Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out—
Because I was not a Jew.

Then they came for me—and there was no one left to speak for me."

Martin Niemöller

CynicalBrad said:

Im just waiting for the people to remake this gov't "of the people, by the people, for the people".
The masses now days lets their rights be crushed and taken without hesitation or objection.
And agreed, come for my guns and I will give them to them, one cartridge at a time.

One of my favorite quotes of all time fits this perfectly.

"First they came for the Socialists, and I did not speak out—
Because I was not a Socialist.

Then they came for the Trade Unionists, and I did not speak out—
Because I was not a Trade Unionist.

Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out—
Because I was not a Jew.

Then they came for me—and there was no one left to speak for me."

Martin Niemöller

Click to expand...

Your position is spurious even though I understand what you are saying. Laser ownership is not protected by the Constitution. Are you going to complain or are you going to speak up?

pmurph5 said:

Thank you for reading the article and going to the FDA document to see the specific questions they were asking of TEPRSSC.

And by extension the questions they are asking of anyone else interested in laser pointer regulations who may want to comment directly to FDA.

Click to expand...

Your heads up post may have fallen upon deaf ears. Methinks people will complain, but do nothing.

94Z28 said:

It's like our guns; they will have to come to my house and take them from me before I give them up. If you take your whole bin full of pointers an drop them off at the local PD you are nuts!

I would never listen to this rule, you can call me a blackhat or rebel whatever but no matter the case... I will be keeping my guns and I will be keeping my lasers. OR I will die trying to keep my guns and etc.

Click to expand...

This is not banning possession or use, just importation and sales of finished " pointers " your self made astronomy laser or wood burner is not banned, ownership, possession and use is not being banned, they just want to grab anything in the mail that's a "pointer", not modules or diodes.

I don't like it either and hope it is not passed.

As for firearms I was at the range with friends yesterday and people know what's ahead if we get Clinton, we will not give up our Constitutional rights no matter who reinterprets them, it has already been decided and there are too many guns in the peoples hands.

Much is yet to happen and I am not going to put the cart before the horse here, but I am with you as far as standing for our rights and I will stand up.

I donate regularly to the NRA, NRA-ILA, GOA, and a few others. I write the letters to my representatives and have marched on my State Capital, I am prepared to stand with my fellow citizens if it means 2017 will be carved on my headstone, the idea is to fix the problems before it comes to dyeing as a martyr, maybe stopping the import of cheap pointers will stop the aircraft problem, I think it's wrong, I think those who are guilty should be punished, not everyone for the acts of a few.

Most of the things we enjoy in life are not protected by the constitution as they did not exist during it's drafting and signing.
And I am currently formulating and email to send DICE/FDA as I am typing this that will actually propose some serious options instead of an illegal blanket ban.

Email sent, hopefully it sees the right person and they rethink their approach to this problem.