Europe Bans X-Ray Body Scanners Used at U.S. Airports
Europe Bans X-Ray Body Scanners Used at U.S. Airports
Photo by Michael Nagle/Getty Images file photo
by Michael Grabell
ProPublica, Nov. 15, 2011, 3:45 p.m
The European Union on Monday prohibited the use of X-ray body scanners in European airports, parting ways with the U.S. Transportation Security Administration, which has deployed hundreds of the scanners as a way to screen millions of airline passengers for explosives hidden under clothing.
The European Commission, which enforces common policies of the EU's 27 member countries, adopted the rule “in order not to risk jeopardizing citizens’ health and safety.”
The European Commission, which enforces common policies of the EU's 27 member countries, adopted the rule “in order not to risk jeopardizing citizens’ health and safety.”
As a ProPublica/PBS NewsHour investigation detailed earlier this month, X-ray body scanners use ionizing radiation, a form of energy that has been shown to damage DNA and cause cancer. Although the amount of radiation is extremely low, equivalent to the radiation a person would receive in a few minutes of flying, several research studies have concluded that a small number of cancer cases would result from scanning hundreds of millions of passengers a year.
European countries will be allowed to use an alternative body scanner, on that relies on radio frequency waves, which have not been linked to cancer. The TSA has also deployed hundreds of those machines – known as millimeter-wave scanners – in U.S. airports. But unlike Europe, it has decided to deploy both types of scanners.
The TSA would not comment specifically on the EU’s decision. But in a statement, TSA spokesman Mike McCarthy said, “As one of our many layers of security, TSA deploys the most advanced technology available to provide the best opportunity to detect dangerous items, such as explosives.
http://www.propublica.org/article/europe-bans-x-ray-body-scanners-u...
Replies to This Discussion
-
Permalink Reply by windy windlan on
-
It seems like anything that is harmful to us is okay. Thinks like x-ray scanners, aspartame, GM food, MSG, fluoride, pesticides, toxin loaded vaccines, chemotherapy, BPA, prescription drugs, etc., are all blessed by the government. But raw milk, organic food, vitamins, alternative therapies (especially for cancer), are all under constant attack. The TSA is there to make us get used to submitting to the government, as it wants to control all aspects of our lives from our first inhale to our last exhale. We are considered to be potential enemy combatants, not care-free citizens just going about our daily lives. In government's eyes we are guilty until we can prove our innocence. We must be closely scrutinized and monitored. Fascism has arrived in the Land of the Free and Home of the Brave. Who said "it can't happen here."
- ‹ Previous
- 1
- 2
- Next ›
"Destroying the New World Order"
THANK YOU FOR SUPPORTING THE SITE!
Latest Activity
- Top News
- Everything
"cheeki kea I was wrong Emperor Penguins are big and powerful but still alive but this,
A size…"
"Cheeki kea here's another that they say there have been modern sightings of!
The name of…"
"cheeki kea, did you ever hear of the giant Imperial Penguins? They were about 6 feet tall and could…"
"cheeki kea I do not think these giant two legged birds would need to have a bad attitude as long as…"
“What’s His Motive?” - Inside The Mind of George Soros
"Trump calls for George Soros and son to face federal…"
Mossad, Terrifying CIA Technology, Blackwater & The Most Secret CIA Unit | John Kiriakou
John Kiriakou served 15 years in the CIA as a Case Officer (Spy) and as CIA's Head of Counterterrorism Operations in Pakistan where he lead the raid that cap...
A Critique of the Tavistock Institute - The Mother Of All Conspiracy Theories
An examination of the Tavistock Institute, a theory which seeks to explain how Western societies have been brainwashed by a cabal of social scientists and th...
“What’s His Motive?” - Inside The Mind of George Soros
In this short clip, Patrick Bet-David, Sebastian Gorka Adam Sosnick, and Tom Ellsworth George Soros and what motivates him to do the things he does. FaceTime...
"If you're ever out there Doc V and notice giant two legged birds roaming the wilderness be…"
© 2025 Created by truth.
Powered by
