Government Turns to Invasive Searches to Prevent Terrorism
By Demire Coffin | Dec. 8, 2010The Transportation Security Administration's new full-body scanners are causing an uproar among air travelers. Passengers are worried that the levels of radiation used to see through clothing are dangerous and may cause cancer. The TSA has worked jointly with independent researchers to issue statements assuring the public that the radiation emitted from the scanners is harmless and that a passenger would have to pass through a scanner a thousand times in a year to be affected by the radiation. "There have been some questions and criticism about the scanners," said Brett O'Neil, a local customer support manager for the TSA. As it stands, the Buffalo-Niagara International Airport has five full-body units in place. "Locally, we have gotten mostly positive feedback," O'Neil said.
