Smoking Causes Blindness

Professional bodies and patient groups across Europe are today on World No Tobacco Day (31 May 2006) calling for warnings that smoking causes blindness to be put on tobacco products.

Smoking causes AMD (age-related macular degeneration) - the main cause of sight loss in the European Union.

AMD Alliance International, RNIB (The Royal National Institute of the Blind) and the Royal College of Ophthalmologists are today launching a position paper to set out the case for a new warning that smoking causes blindness to be put on tobacco products sold across the European Union.

Steve Winyard, Chairman of AMD Alliance International, said: "Sight is the sense nine out of ten people most fear losing. A combination of a textual warning stating clearly that smoking causes blindness, together with a hard-hitting picture will be a powerful incentive for people to stop smoking and for others not to start."

FIG 1. Cigarette package - "Smoking Causes Blindness"

Image of cigarette package proclaiming, 'Smoking causes blindness'.

Nick Astbury, Royal College of Ophthalmologists, said: "The scientific evidence for the causal link between smoking and blindness is now as robust as the evidence for the link between smoking and lung disease. It is time that smokers understood that they at least double their risk of going blind through age-related macular degeneration, in fact their risk may be as high as eight times that of a non-smoker if they happen to have a genetic predisposition as well."

The campaign for a warning about smoking and blindness on tobacco products is being led by RNIB, the European members of AMD Alliance International and the Royal College of Ophthalmologists. The position paper being launched today on their websites is supported by the European Union of General Practitioners, the European Blind Union, the International Agency for the Prevention of Blindness Europe, the European Network for Smoking Prevention and ASH (the UK Action on Smoking and Health).

Lesley-Anne Alexander, RNIB's Chief Executive, said: "We have put together a strong coalition of partners to take this campaign forward. Introducing warnings about smoking and blindness on tobacco products is an important first step on our awareness raising agenda. We hope that it will encourage further action at member state level to raise awareness of the link amongst health care professionals. GPs, ophthalmologists and nurses working in smoking cessation clinics should alert their patients to the damage smoking can do to their sight as another strong argument in support of smoking cessation efforts."

The position paper is available at:

www.rnib.org.uk,
www.amdalliance.org and
www.rcophth.ac.uk.

For further information please call: Barbara McLaughlan, European Co-ordinator AMD Alliance International, 020.7391.2302 (out of hours: +44.788.333.9272) or Catrin Roberts, European Campaigns Officer, RNIB on +44.020.7391.2087

Notes to Editors:

  • 1. AMD Alliance International is a global association of patient and seniors' organisations dedicated to raising awareness of Age-Related Macular Degeneration (AMD), as well as improving prevention, early detection and access to treatment, rehabilitation and low vision services.
  • 2. Every day another 100 people in the UK will start to lose their sight. There are around two million people in the UK with sight problems. RNIB is the leading charity working in the UK offering practical support, advice and information for anyone with sight difficulties. If you, or someone you know, has a sight problem RNIB can help. Call the RNIB Helpline on 0845 766 9999 or visit www.rnib.org.uk.
  • 3. The Royal College of Ophthalmologists educates medical practitioners in matters relating to vision and the health of the human eye. It is charged with maintaining proper standards in the practice of ophthalmology for the benefit of the public.