Calling all laser experts

[elizabeth_algutifan@wssrap-host.wssrap.com]

Hey Radsafers,

I took my kids to the mall here in St. Charles last night.  My older son had
been begging me for a week to get him a "cool laser" to use on Halloween night
("All the other kids have one, Mom," he pleaded).  The first gift shop we came
to had some key chains hanging near the cash register.  My son immediately
recognized them as laser key chains, so I picked one up and looked at it.  It
had a warning label that said it was a Class IIIa, red laser in the 660-680 nm
wavelength range.  It said "Keep out reach of children" (not my typo; an import
I guess) and "Do not point directly in the eyes" (well, yeah, that makes sense!)
 It was selling for $14.99.  I did not buy it for him (because I know someone
will ask).  Of course, I know that these key chains are becoming very popular
among school children, as are laser pointers and other types of laser devices
that are sold over the counter in some retail stores.  Our local school district
has just made a rule forbidding children to bring any type of laser devices to
school under any circumstances.  A child at my kids' school was just suspended
for bringing a laser pointer to class (a third grader).

Now, my question is, isn't a Class IIIa laser a pretty severe ocular hazard? And
what can we as health physicists do about it?  I'm no expert in this field, but
the bits and pieces I've read from studying for the CHP exam indicate to me that
it's an immediate ocular hazard if intrabeam viewing occurs.  I'd like others'
thoughts on this issue; I was so upset last night about these things being in
plain view in retail stores (and at a child's eye level) that I was thinking
about calling up the FDA.  This seems to be a significant acute radiation issue
to me, that you folks will be interested in.  I hope I'm not overreacting, and I
think I am not.  Thanks for the help and advice.

Elizabeth Algutifan,
Environmental Health Physicist
WSSRAP
St. Charles, MO
Elizabeth_Algutifan@wssrap-host.wssrap.com

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