Lasers banned at Norway’s final graduation party after eye injuries

Lasers will be prohibited at this weekend’s Kaddatreffet graduation festival in Sandvika, organizers confirmed Friday, following two recent cases of Russian russ students suffering permanent eye damage from high-powered laser pointers.

Torstein Løvlid, managing director of the event, told Dagbladet that the decision was made jointly with participating students after parents and russ raised concerns over the injuries. “We’ve been in daily dialogue with them,” he said. “After reviewing the risks this past week, we agreed the lasers should stay off.”

The ban comes as Oslo and Agder police districts investigate two separate incidents where russ were exposed to laser beams, resulting in eye injuries. No charges have yet been filed in either case.

Jan Martin Svensson Vågen, a laser safety specialist with the firm Diode, inspected the festival’s russ buses Friday and confirmed their roof-mounted lasers had been removed. “Lasers can be dangerous if used irresponsibly—and that’s exactly what we’re seeing with the russ,” he said. “Most lack the expertise to handle them safely.”

Svensson Vågen, who has worked with lasers for a decade, noted that even standard devices pose risks: a typical laser’s hazard range extends up to one kilometer for eye damage and six kilometers for pilot blinding. Operators must also coordinate with aviation authorities to avoid disrupting air traffic. “Ideally, russ shouldn’t use lasers at all,” he said. “Doing it safely requires professional oversight—something that’s impractical for a graduation celebration.”

The ban aligns with calls from Health Minister Jan Christian Vestre for stricter laser regulations, a measure Norway’s Directorate for Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety first proposed five years ago. Police have reportedly seized five illegal lasers in recent weeks, though Svensson Vågen stressed that even legally obtained devices—readily available to the public—can cause harm if mishandled.

“Firms renting out lasers to russ need to take responsibility,” he added. “You can’t expect students or bus drivers to understand the risks.”

Kaddatreffet, the final russ gathering of the season, will proceed with music, lighting displays, and other attractions—but no lasers.