Sooner or later the banhammer is gonna fall

[WizardG]

Found this in my laserist facebook feed. Don't know if this link will work: https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?...UcbCxqDLv-esfXHEdI_rz96lXCDtrU2cU-43bdorZ5vL5

 

[ArcticDude]

 

[WizardG]

Thanks A.D. Thinking about the story a bit more, and looking at that photo.... I find myself wondering if this injury was really from a laser being 'played with'. i.e. waved around. I'm guessing these were 303 type lasers...not much more than 50-80 mW. To get the injury shown in the photo from that small amount of power I think one of two things has to happen. Either you have to deliberately look into the beam or someone (some kid) thought it would be fun to aim their new toy at people's faces to...startle, annoy, distract...whatever. I'm pretty sure the retinal damage was unintentional, but I think it was the result of one or the other deliberate acts..... done in ignorance. But it makes me afraid that as the tally of these type of incidents grows the end result will be more restrictive regulation of lasers.

 

[paul1598419]

Don't know what country they were in, but it couldn't be the USA. You cannot purchase one of these lasers in any store in the US. Why would any parent think that a laser is a toy? They aren't, even at <1 mW. I gave my daughter a HeNe laser when she was a teenager, but only after spending a great deal of time teaching her about the obvious safety issues with it.

 

[Laserbran]

My two cents,
First off the laser hobby comes with tremendous responsibility. Lasers are not toys (even though we love playing with them with burning things and optical effects). When I built my first HeNe Laser in 7th grade it was .5mw and I had to have protective barriers in place to demonstrate the laser at my school's science fair. When I worked with high powered lasers at Cornell University I had to take a two week safety training course just to enter the lab and we had to have goggles in place before entering. Now we do see lasers are common so called toys and even very low mw lasers if shown directly in the eye can do damage but that's because people(manufactuers) have desensitized the public to what they are. They are serious photon generators. Now I have a true and tragic case. At said university there was a laser show where they employed defraction effects and beam splitters shooting the lasers over the heads of the crowd. This was in the 90s. Well I had a ladyfriend up on my shoulders and the beams hit her in the eyes blinding her. Her parents seeked recourse and such shows I believe we're banned at the University. This really happened, her name was Candice. Now I grew up in the 80s and 90s and said laser shows were common and injury I believe was rare but it did happen due to negligence of the people who set up the laser show and myself for having her on my shoulders. I do know it wasn't a quick shot but that she stared into the beams which I knew better but am definately partly to blame. It seems these days everything is simpley banned but lasers are a part of life now and used in industry so they are not going anywhere. But they come with risk and responsibility. Here on this forum safety comes first and every new post starts and ends with, do you have eye ptotection? Which I love reading! Lasers need the same handling protocols as firearms but a visit to any firearms forums don't end with, hey do you have firearms safety training? Because people know that firearms are dangerous if mishandled. But many people don't instinctively go, hey that little laser pointer is really dangerous if mishandled. I love lasers and the science and passion behind them but they must be respected as serious instruments, not toys.

 

[WizardG]

Don't know what country they were in, but it couldn't be the USA. You cannot purchase one of these lasers in any store in the US. Why would any parent think that a laser is a toy? They aren't, even at <1 mW. I gave my daughter a HeNe laser when she was a teenager, but only after spending a great deal of time teaching her about the obvious safety issues with it.

In the facebook post the mother says they were on vacation in Turkey when the incident occurred. And many gas station convenience stores and little mom-n-pop bodegas, at least here in Oregon, have little trays of DPSS green lasers next to the little display of novelty LED flashlights. I've been in a few that had red and violet pens for sale as well as 303s. Oh, they all have stickers that say they're under 5mW but we're talking about really cheap chinese made lasers here and that sticker doesn't mean much.

 

[paul1598419]

I have never seen a 303 style laser for sale in the US. That said, I can't say for certain that they are sold nowhere, though the laws against selling them are very specific. I can't imagine a store selling them as the legal issues are severe if they are caught. All the little pocket lasers I have seen for sale DO comply with the FDA standards.

 

[GSS]

When the red laser trend started in the late late 90's or early 2000's, the ones with all the attachments that imaged emoji type characters, I use to find kits of them at liquor store's in New Hampshire.
I haven't seen any type of green lasers in store's in MA as of yet, not even a smoke shop.. I wouldn't doubt though that some of the bigger Flea markets might have a seller..

 

[LSRFAQ]

Been watching the Hong Kong political protests lately? Lasers made in China might get regulated much quicker if that "Political" use keeps up.
Not that I have a problem with securing liberty, but I can think of better ways then flash blinding riot police. The Authoritarian folks might reduce the supply.

Steve

 

[Alien Laser]

In EU the sell all kinds of lasers on flee markets and in stores i ask a man to test 1 and he told me no i can not hold it i told him man i have more powerfull then this and i walk away