Laser pointers pose a danger to the eyes and have been responsible for several accidents in Japan, the Japan Consumer Information Center said.

The devices, which cost between 100 yen and 4,800 yen, are often used to point out images on screens at conferences.

The center said earlier this week that as of Oct. 20, it had received reports of 14 cases of laser-pointer related accidents since 1997.

Experts say beams from the pointers can leave afterimages in people's vision, cause temporary vision loss and are capable of damaging retinas and nerves in the eye.

The center said such accidents, some of malicious intent, have been reported throughout the world. Several countries, including Britain and the United States, have already begun regulating sales of the devices.

However, such measures are lacking in Japan, where even children can buy laser pointers, which are available from toy vending machines.

According to a survey of 532 elementary school children in Kanagawa Prefecture taken by the center in October, 21 percent of the children in the fourth to sixth grades said they owned laser pointers. Of that number, 3 percent said they have struck other children's eyes with beams from the devices.

An official of the Ministry of International Trade and Industry said it is considering asking businesses to instruct consumers on the products' proper use. However, the ministry has yet to determine a specific method for making the request, as most laser pointers are imported.