Regulating Laser Pointers

["Richard C. Mannix" <rcmannix@uci.edu>]

Fresh off of the CNN Homepage.
-------------------------
Council restricts youths' access to laser
                  pointers

                  January 27, 1999 
                  Web posted at: 10:09 AM EST (1509 GMT) 

                  SAN RAMON, California (AP) -- Zapping a laser pointer at
motorists is
                  now against the law in this San Francisco Bay area city,
and teen-agers soon
                  will have a tougher time getting their hands on the
gadgets. 

                  The city council passed an ordinance Tuesday making it
illegal to point the
                  devices at motorists and limiting minors' access to the
pointers. 

                  The law -- to take effect in 30 days -- makes it a
misdemeanor to sell a laser
                  to a minor or for a minor to have a laser pointer without
adult supervision. 

                  It was not immediately clear how sales of the gadgets
would be regulated. 

                  Developed for board room presentations, laser pointers
have become
                  popular with teen-agers and pranksters. 

                  Flashing the lasers at drivers can be dangerous because
the beams have a
                  blinding effect. The Food and Drug Administration has
warned that looking
                  directly into a laser can be more damaging that staring
at the sun. 

                  Similar bans have been passed in cities in Maryland,
Virginia, Michigan and
                  Delaware, as well as others. 

                  Copyright 1999 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.
This material
                      may not be published, broad

Rick Mannix
Health Physicist
Laser Safety Officer
Univ. of Calif., Irvine
949-824-6098
rcmannix@uci.edu
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