Optometrists warn millions putting their sight at risk by continuing to smoke

• Majority of optometrists examine a patient with eye disease linked to smoking every month  
• While most of the public identify cancer as a health risk of smoking, only a fifth link the habit to blindness or sight impairment 
• Just a quarter of the public are aware that quitting smoking will improve poor eye health
• Association of Optometrists (AOP) advises not smoking as number one tip for protecting eye health   

Most people know smoking is bad for your health but while most would cite heart disease and cancer as risks, few know that blindness and sight impairment are very real consequences of the habit.

Today, optometrists from the AOP warn that millions of smokers in the UK are putting themselves at increased risk of blindness or sight impairment by continuing with the habit. This comes as almost all (96%) optometrists surveyed say they examine a patient every month who has eye disease that they believe is the result of smoking¹. 

Despite this concern among experts, only a fifth (18%) of the general population recognise the connection between blindness and smoking². This is compared to 76% who link cancer and smoking; 66% who link it with heart disease and 64% who recognise the connection between bronchitis and smoking.

It’s feared that those putting their sight at risk through smoking is also a much larger issue, as one in five (21%) of the public admitted they had not had a sight test in the last two years – with almost half (40%) explaining they did not feel the need to go because their vision seemed fine.

The AOP is reminding people that it’s never too late to benefit from stopping smoking, despite over half of the UK public surveyed (51%) saying they aren’t sure whether long-term smokers would see an improvement in their eye health if they quit. An additional 11% believe there would be no improvement as the damage has already been done.  

Optometrist and AOP Head of Clinical and Regulatory, Henry Leonard said: “Smokers are up to four times more likely to develop age-related macular degeneration³ – the leading cause of sight loss in the UK and twice as likely to develop conditions which can lead to glaucoma and cataracts⁴. There are of course numerous health reasons to stop smoking but we hope that highlighting these additional risks will give many smokers who are considering quitting, that last little push.

“Whether you are a smoker or not, it’s important to visit your optometrist regularly to have a full eye health check – so any conditions can be identified and treated early.”

The AOP is launching its national Stub it out campaign on 2 July. An outdoor advertising campaign will be rolled out in areas that have some of the highest levels of smoking in the UK including London, Glasgow and Manchester.

Ends

1  The Voice of Optometry panel was set up and launched in 2017 by the AOP and conducted by Alpha Research. 1063 practising optometrists completed the online survey between 12 February and 22 March 2019.  
2  Research surveying 2006 UK adults conducted by Opinium between 14 – 17 June 2019
3  Kelly SP, Thornton J, Lyratzopoulos G et al. Smoking and blindness. BMJ 2004; 328:537-8
4  Lin et al, 2010, Cigarette Smoking as a Risk Factor for Uveitis, American Academy of Ophthalmology