Handheld lasers, ranging from 25 mW to 1000 mW, are classified as Class 3B (avoid beam exposure) and Class 4 (avoid both direct and scattered radiation to eyes and skin). These powerful devices, sometimes reaching up to 3500 mW, are available to consumers online. Lasers of this power are capable of igniting fires in combustible materials, and in the hands of untrained individuals, the risk of accidents increases dramatically. For instance, some users casually engage in activities like targeting balloons for practice, unaware of the potential dangers.

Accidents often occur when laser beams reflect off metallic, glass, or crystalline surfaces, scattering the light back into the user’s eyes. In some cases, people have been injured by shining laser beams into mirrors. Tragically, many of these incidents involve children or teenagers, who may treat these devices as harmless toys. Any laser powerful enough to pop balloons or start fires can cause immediate and irreversible eye injuries if it strikes the eye directly.

Another issue is that high-powered handheld lasers are sometimes misleadingly advertised as laser pointers. People may use them inappropriately, such as for presentations in crowded spaces, potentially exposing large groups to accidental laser radiation.