Some travelers resist full body scans due to health concerns
Wednesday, December 28, 2011
For some, heightened levels of security at airports has become a regular part of the travel experience. Others still have difficulty adapting to certain procedures - especially the full body scan.
According to the results of Thomson Reuters and NPR’s monthly Health Poll, around one-quarter of U.S. citizens would refuse a full body scan at the airport. Additionally, 14.9 percent of respondents reported that security measures of this nature provide them with concerns over their health.
A total of 22.6 percent of respondents cite exposure to radiation as one of their main reasons for resisting airport body scanners. Violation of personal privacy and 4th Amendment rights were two other reasons, while 47 percent of respondents had no problem whatsoever with the current state of airport security.
"While I applaud the survey participants' concern with radiation exposure, these scanners are safe," said Raymond Fabius, chief medical officer at Thomson Reuters’ healthcare business. "Based on the amount of radiation these machines produce, a traveler would have to take 2,000 plane rides before being subjected to the equivalence of a single chest x-ray."
Whether or not travelers go through with the full body scan, relaxing in calm settings, such as short term furnished apartments, is sure to ease any stress that accompanies modern air travel.