18 October 2016
The dangers of wearing novelty contact lenses has been highlighted by the British Contact Lens Association as Halloween approaches.
In recent years, novelty contact lenses have become a key component to thousands of party-goers’ costumes, with sales escalating around Halloween. Attributing the popularity of coloured contact lenses to television and film franchisees such as Twilight, the BCLA believes that people also share their novelty contacts among their friends.
President of the BCLA, optometrist Brian Tompkins, warned: “By sharing coloured contact lenses, young people are playing Russian roulette with their eye health and putting their sight at risk.”
Cosmetic coloured lenses are a medical device, the BCLA stressed, adding that they should only be prescribed and purchased from an eye care professional. Explaining why, Mr Tompkins said: “An eye care professional will ensure that contact lenses fit properly and that wearers receive expert advice on how to wear and store them safely.”
He added: “Cosmetic lenses found in fashion retail outlets, market stalls and from unregistered online sellers are distributed on a 'one size fits all' basis. To minimise the risks of infection and on-going eye health issues, it is essential that all lenses are individually prescribed by a fully qualified professional.”
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Anonymous23 October 2016
I feel that you are preaching to the converted whilst yet again no action is taken against the retailers that sell these contact lenses. I constantly feel that we would be taken to task with such disregard to the public, and are not on a level playing field. We have heard talk like this for years and years.How are these people not fined as they are potentially putting independents out of business and just devaluing our services.
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