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Published September 09, 2010, 02:00 AM

Doctors see eye hazard in powerful laser pointers

Doctors are warning about eye hazards from high-powered laser pointers that can be bought online.

NEW YORK (AP) — Doctors are warning about eye hazards from high-powered laser pointers that can be bought online.

Exhibit A is a 15-year-old Swiss boy who damaged his vision during a homemade light show. The teen bought a pointer that was 30 times as powerful as the U.S. limit allows.

Doctors report in Thursday's New England Journal of Medicine that the boy was playing with the pointer in front of a mirror to create a light show. He accidentally zapped his eyes several times.

Four months later, his vision was still impaired.

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