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Are laser dangerous?
Looking directly at a laser beam is difficult to do, since the normal reaction to a bright light is to blink and turn away. Nonetheless, there have been increases in the number of eye injuries and temporary vision problems reported to government agencies worldwide resulting from the misuse of laser products, particularly laser pointers. These increases can also be attributed to the introduction of inexpensive off-specification laser products that are not compliant with established safety standards and have illegitimate safety labels.
As indicated in Aegis specifications, most laser products are manufactured with different output powers for the same wavelength. This is because certain countries, including many in western Europe, require that laser products have a lower output power than what is permissible in other nations, such as the United States. Some countries have produced television commercials that inform consumers about the risks associated with using laser products and in November, 1997, the United Kingdom banned class 3a laser pointers (above 1mW) from commercial sale.
