There are certain toys and gadgets that deep down we know are just troublesome, but when our children really, really want them it can be hard to say no.

 

Laser pointers tend to fall under that category, but this week health officials are urging parents to keep them out of the reach of children with the following cautionary report.

 

According to Australian health authorities, a Tasmanian teenager has lost 75% of his vision after shining a laser pointer directly into his eyes.

 

The family’s optometrist, Ben Armitage, spoke out to share the shocking details of the story and remind parents that these laser pointers are not toys.

 

 

“He came in to see me and on Friday night he’d got a hold of a laser pen and, unfortunately, shined it in his eyes for a very brief period,” Mr Armitage said, explaining how the action had burned the teen’s retinas.

 

“Unfortunately, that’s the area where your detailed central vision takes place and therefore it’s had somewhat of an exaggerated effect on how much sight he’s lost,” he added.

 

Although painless, the boy’s actions caused instant damage and, since that damage is to the macular area, it is believed that the blindness will be permanent. He now has to adjust to living with possibly just 25% of his sight for the rest of his life.

 

Health officials went on to urge parents not to purchase these laser pens for their children – they are most certainly not toys and can cause irreparable damage in a matter of seconds.

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