So what should we do? The alternative incandescent lights are disappearing from most stores now.. LED lights aren't common yet either.

Originally posted by truth/seeker
It makes you think, what else in our daily lives posses health risks

to us, that we don't know about? I eat healthy, don't drink tap water,

take vitamin supplements, meanwhile the government THINKS of ways

to kill us off!!!!!! case in point, the upcoming Vaccines, they are poison

don't take them!!!!...imo

DON'T DRINK TAP WATER?
THANKS A LOT FOR FILLING LANDFILLS NEEDLESSLY WITH PLASTIC BOTTLES THAT WERE JUST FILLED WITH TAP WATER AT A FACTORY ANYWAY.

You complete imbecile

Woah crap, no wonder they are selling them off cheap. I got 5 of these energy saving bulbs for 50p at Savers last week! I've had a look through the packaging and it doesn't state anywhere on the box that they contain mercury, or on the manufacturers website so I am now e-mailing them to ask. Surely these things should have information on the dangers and how to correctly clean them up and dispose of them?! On the box it only has the symbol to not throw away with normal rubbish but no indicator as to how else to get rid of them.
Thank you very much for the information, I'm going to try and track down all the main manufacturers in the UK to confirm they contain mercury then write letters in to papers and such. Does anyone know if this information has featured in any of the main newspapers yet? This is serious stuff, everyone should be aware of it!

I emailed my family about the dangers of the bulbs and sent them the link on how to clean up a broken one and my Grandad replied..

When I was a child, my Dad had a screw top jar half full of mercury. He kept it in the shed and I was fascinated by it. When he was a work I used to find the key to the shed, and tip out some of the mercury on his bench. It ran all over the place in little balls. I used to use my finger to push it all back into one "pool", then guide it back into the jar. You could also make it go wherever you wanted to with a magnet.

My Grandad is doing ok on the brain front *touch wood*, so I reckon that I at least, will ease off on the paranoias of it. Course I'm not gonna start injecting myself with it (no vaccines getting near me) and I'll be careful with the broken bulbs and such but that he had such close contact with alot of it, without any problems is reassuring enough for me.

Yeah -- here's what Minnesota says about this issue:

Household Hazardous WasteUsing energy-efficient fluorescent light bulbs makes good sense—you save money on electric bills and help protect the environment. But because they contain mercury, fluorescent bulbs of allshapes and sizes (compact fluorescents, fluorescenttubes, and high-intensity discharge bulbs used forexterior lighting) from households must be recycled to avoid polluting the environment and posing a health threat.
Never throw these bulbs inthe trash—it’s illegal to do so.Where can I recycle my fluorescent bulbs?Hardware stores and retailersMany retailers that sell fluorescent light bulbsalso collect them for recycling. Contact your localretailer to find out whether they accept fluorescent bulbs forrecycling (fees vary from free to $1 or $2). For a list of retailersthat accept used fluorescent and HID lamps, go to earth911.org or call 800-253-2687. In the Twin Cities metro area (exceptScott county), consult www.GreenGuardian.com.Check your electric utility’s website—power companies oftenhave arrangements with retailers, such as hardware stores, toaccept used residential fluorescent bulbs. Some utilities offercustomers coupons that will cover the cost of recycling.County household hazardous waste programsMany county household hazardous waste (HHW) programsaccept used household fluorescent bulbs for recycling. Forinformation about your county’s HHW program, visit www.pca.state.mn.us/hhw/ or call the Minnesota Pollution ControlAgency’s HHW program at 651-296-6300 or 800-657-3864(outside the Twin Cities metro area only).Fluorescent light bulbs: Use them, recycle them.Fluorescent bulbs save money and protect our environment∫ Fluorescent light bulbs use only one-fourth as muchenergy as equivalent incandescent bulbs. And they last upto 10 times longer.Replacing a 100-watt incandescent bulb with an equivalentcompact fluorescent bulb can save you as much as $50 overthe life of the bulb.∫ Fluorescent bulbs use less energy, reducing emissionsat power plants that burn fossil fuels, resulting in a netreduction in mercury pollution.Replacing a 150-watt bulb with a 28-watt compact fluorescentbulb results in 1,020 pounds less carbon dioxide released frompower plants over the lifetime of the fluorescent bulb.∫ Fewer power plants are needed. Less energy demandmeans electric utilities need less new generating capacity.Utilities can avoid building new plants, which results inmore savings for customers and less future pollution of our environment.Bulb recycling quick links ∫earth911.orgGreenGuardian.comw-hhw4-304/28/2008
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Handle with careBe careful when handling and transporting fluorescent bulbs to avoid breakageand exposure to mercury.∫ Storing: To avoid breaking bulbs, store them in their original packagingsomewhere inaccessible to children.∫ Transporting: When transporting fluorescent bulbs for recycling, repackthem in their original packaging or wrap in newspaper or bubble wrap andplace in a box or bag to prevent breakage. Carry them in the trunk of the car,if possible. Make sure there are no heavy items in the trunk that can shift orroll around and break the bulbs. As an added precaution, place used bulbs insealed heavy-duty plastic bags.Frequently asked questionsFluorescent bulbs have mercury in them—so why should I use them?Fluorescent light bulbs are safe to use—no mercury is released when the bulbsare in use. Simply be careful when removing or replacing a fluorescent bulb. By saving energy, fluorescent bulbs actually prevent more mercury from being released into the air by power plants. A power plant emits about 10 mgof mercury to produce the electricity needed to run an incandescent bulb,compared to only 2.4 mg of mercury to run a compact fluorscent bulb for thesame amount of time.What should I do if I break a fluorescent bulb?Because of the mercury in fluorescent light bulbs, b

The thing I've noticed about these bulbs is, when I turn on my lamp, they initially are dim. Then, as they heat up, they become brighter. I'm not sure exactly what causes this; my guess is, the mercury is heated up? Anyhow, these bulbs get as hot as the old incandescent ones. They are certainly more complicated and make disposal more of a hassle. It's not hard to break them either, as I've broken several, do I need to call a HAZMAT team every time this happens? What a pain. More "innovative solutions" to a problem that could be solved fairly quickly if our status quotient would ever get off of their fake money and fake power. But then, we all know what the score is. Our energy policy is poison.

About 3 years ago here in Sydney we had a company knock on our door to replace all our old bulbs with these new green bulbs. I have to say that I've noticed a drop in my health and well being.
A year after having these bulbs installed I developed a quick growing brown patch on my skin that was skin cancer that I had removed.
I've also been noticably forgetful and often mentally sluggish.
The time line could be mere coincidence but I feel it isn't.
I also have problem reading under this lighting. My eyes get tired easily and everything looks blurry after a short time.

After reading this, I'm removing these bulbs and replacing them.
If the incadecent bulbs are now illegal, I might install old fashioned fluorescents around the house instead. I assuming these aren't illegal?

My other half and I have discussed this now and decided that once the law comes into affect, banning the old bulbs, we'll try and use oil lamps, candles etc instead. Abit more romantic too!

BUY LED Light Fittings.

Hi ALL, I thought it might be good to tell you all how to be Environmentally Aware and SAFE. Go and buy LED lights they will cost a fair amount to start with, but they last 10+ years and use so little energy to make the payback times quite fast.

BUT Most important, Your families lives won't be at risk. They are simple to fit, as they use low voltages so no Qualified electricians required. Everyone wins. OH Except the Energy Companies, Chinese Killer lightbulb manufacturers, etc