PRESS RELEASE
Tuesday, September 24, 2019

BCLA issues warning over dangers of Halloween lenses

Adding spooky contact lenses to your fancy dress outfit this Halloween could trigger a real-life horror show and put your sight at risk, eye experts have warned.

Novelty lenses form a key part of the costume for thousands of revellers celebrating Halloween, but they could pose a ghoulish threat to eye health.

The lenses, which alter eye colour and have been made popular by big screen blockbusters including Twilight, are often shared around amongst friends - increasing the risk of corneal ulcers and infections.

Jonathon Bench, President of the British Contact Lens Association (BCLA), said: “By sharing coloured contact lenses young people are playing Russian roulette with their eye health and putting their sight at risk.

“Wearing fancy lenses might make you look cool for one night on Halloween but losing your sight could be a lifelong horror story."
The BCLA, which has teamed up with the Association for Independent Optometrists and Dispensing Opticians (AIO) to work closely with the GOC to drive out the illegal sale of contact lenses across the UK, has issued an infographic highlighting the dangers of buying cosmetic lenses from unregistered sellers and warning of the potential consequences to eye health.
Cosmetic coloured lenses are a medical device and should be prescribed by an eye care professional. These lenses should only be purchased from a registered practitioner.
Mr Bench added: “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.
"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 ongoing eye health issues, it is essential that all lenses are individually prescribed by a fully qualified professional.” 
The recent BBC programme ‘Fake Britain’, which reported on the on-line sale of counterfeit contact lenses, highlighted the dangers of buying contact lenses without the supervision of a registered eye care practitioner. Eye infections, even permanent damage to the eye, including blindness can result from lenses that are not stored and washed in sterile solutions. 

You can download the infographic here.


Notes to editors
• For further information, or to arrange further interviews, please call Daniel Owens from Orange Juice Communications on 07909 916668 or email [email protected]