An eye specialist is warning parents and students about the misuse of laser pens, which can be purchased easily but have harmed the eyesight of a number of children in recent months.Laser pens are often used as pointers by teachers in classrooms, and have become popular with some schoolchildren in Chengdu, Sichuan province.Sold in many stationery shops in the city, most are priced between 5 yuan and 200 yuan ($0.8-$31). They can emit a narrow beam of light in either red, blue or green with a single click of a button.But pointing a laser beam into a person's eyes can damage the delicate organs. A number of students have sought treatment at the Ineye Hospital of Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine.Xie Airui, an eye specialist at the hospital, has received two boys since September whose visual acuity fell off sharply after incidents involving laser pens. The first boy's eyes were burned. He couldn't see an object 10 centimeters away. A checkup showed that the macular area of his retina had been damaged, Xie said.The macular area is the most sensitive part of the eye and critical for vision, she said.The second boy, a high school student, was 15 when he sought treatment from Xie in September, after a classmate pointed a laser pen at him.A test found that the macular areas of both his eyes were burned and had obvious scarring. He could only see objects within 50 centimeters, Xie said.The resulting scars were consistent with those left by clinical lasers, she said, noting that damage to the macular areas can be permanent.Four years ago, the General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine issued a warning that laser pens could harm consumers. But no market supervisors have taken up the matter in a serious way, according to Xu Bin, a lawyer in Chengdu. cheap silicone wristbands ukblack rubber braceletsrubber bracelet makersilicone keychaincustom sweatbands no minimum
BEIJING -- A new wetland park will be built in Beijing's Xicheng District as the capital greens itself, authorities with the district said on Tuesday.The wetland park will be built on Xihai, a 7.4 hectare lake near west Deshengmen, surrounded by historic sites including temples and watchtowers.According to the district government, the lake will be expanded to 10.9 hectares and a 1,450-meter walkway will be built. Commercial property around the lake will be demolished.The measures aim to restore the wetland of Xihai and improve water in the city, according to Gao Junhong, head of the district gardens bureau.The district is planning two forest parks.Beijing intends to restore and add 11,000 hectares of wetlands between 2016 and 2020. Currently, Beijing has six wetland nature reserves and 10 wetland parks covering more than 20,000 hectares.
