A win for common-sense ..

http://www.gizmodo.co.uk/2011/11/eu-...-ray-machines/

http://www.nydailynews.com/new-york/...ticle-1.978840

Will the UK follow?

these machines, aren't they supposed to improve security ?

yes but at what cost? better solutions and technology is available.

UK is part of EU.

However I have reservations on the sources of the article as no agency or actual source is quoted

you can see the full Press Release from the EU Commission here

http://europa.eu/rapid/pressReleases...guiLanguage=en

Reading comprehension failure, buddy. They placed new rules restricting how they are used, but they are certainly not banned.

Edit: well, reading comprehension failure on the part of the reporters, anyway. The articles do claim that they are banned, but as seen in the press release the OP later linked, they are not actually banned, just restricted.

What is the cost of better security?

I was talking about long term health cost with exposure to harmful x-ray especially to young children.

From walking through a x-ray machine say once or twice a year maybe slightly more?

Which there isn't. It's safe for children, and even pregnant women.
The radiation exposure is equal to around 5 mins of normal background radiation, and a tiny % of the radiation exposure when actually flying.

The so-called 'testing' for full body scanners is dodgy at best. We're not comparing like-for-like in the sense of how our bodies absorb radiation in-air and via other means in comparison with the airport scanner.

If there's any doubt, that's enough for me to say "no."

I miscarried due to the supposedly safe lower back x-rays I received at a vulnerable time (between conception and implantation). The result was incomplete implantation, which several weeks later meant I lost the baby.

I'm pregnant again at around 19/20 weeks and I would refuse to walk through a scanner. For a brief European flight, I wore a lead vest.

See attached letter, which might be interesting. =)

Lead vest, huh? How long did it take to explain that one to security?

No problems at all. I did two return London-Zurich flights where I brought it on board. I didn't even receive an extra search of any sort. Obviously, they can't scan through it. They open the case, see it and inspect it, plus ask why I have it. I simply explained I was pregnant and it was for radiation protection.

I had a harder time in the air with the weird looks from passengers. ;p