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Press ReleaseChinese Lasers Threaten United States Security, Says LuckyDuck.comShipped as 'Ball-Point Pens,' Government Is Powerless to Stop Illegal ImportCORVALLIS, Ore., Feb. 28, 2006 -- Remember last year's brouhaha about green lasers aimed at airplanes? Noah Acres does. His company, LuckyDuck.com (http://www.luckyduck.com), sells powerful handheld lasers that are priced between $80 and $150. Though legal, his lasers were cited by the FBI as the very ones used to disrupt air traffic all around the country. After a customer was arrested and charged under the Patriot Act, Acres hit the airwaves in defense of the lasers he says are safe and legal to own.Today, even Acres agrees that some lasers threaten national security and public safety: "Chinese companies are selling lasers 100 times stronger than ours. They're totally illegal and absolutely unsafe because they can burn and blind people. Worse, our government is powerless to stop their import." He points to a Chinese website offering the overpowered lasers to anyone with the $499 purchase price. That website falsely claims the lasers are standard issue to US troops in Iraq and recommends the very same laser as a great pimple-popping tool for acne-plagued adolescents. The same site has even boasted bogus testimonials from the Department of Homeland Security. Though his business continues to grow, Acres admits the Chinese lasers are cutting into his bottom line. Still, he's more concerned they'll become a cheap and highly portable terrorist weapon: "Last year someone pointed our laser at a jet over a mile away and the pilot reported serious disorientation. Imagine the damage a laser with one hundred times that power can do. The Chinese device fits in a pocket and runs from a couple of household batteries. It is poorly made and will self-destruct after a few minutes of operation but how long does a terrorist need to blind a commercial airline pilot?" Acres complained to the United States Food and Drug Administration which regulates laser sales and expressed concern to the Department of Homeland Security: "Despite the billions we spend on nationally security, there's apparently nothing much to be done. The FDA managed to send a warning letter but the Chinese just ignored it. The lasers ship out of China in packages marked as ballpoint pens and, since only a tiny fraction of imported goods are actually inspected, they get in the USA without much difficulty." Acres is philosophical about the illegal competition: "Yeah, it is discouraging that I have to obey the law while the Chinese make money flouting it. Even if I could sell the stronger lasers though, I wouldn't. They're just too dangerous and I want to sleep at night. I still lie awake sometimes wondering exactly what else is coming into our country against our government's wishes." Contact: Noah Acres, 541-908-1057 Fax: 503-715-4974 Email: nsacres@luckyduck.com http://www.luckyduck.com |
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