Smokers warned about risk of sight loss

Research published in the British Medical Journal reveals one in five cases of AMD can be directly attributed to tobacco consumption

Colin Kerr

Published: Wednesday, March 8, 2017

Eye charity, Eye Health UK, will mark National No Smoking Day on Wednesday 8 March with a warning that the relationship between smoking and sight loss is as strong as the link between smoking and lung cancer. Research published in the British Medical Journal reveals one in five cases of AMD, the UK's leading cause of blindness, can be directly attributed to tobacco consumption - equating to around 120,000 cases of AMD across the country.

The relationship between smoking and sight loss is as strong as the link between smoking and lung cancer

David Cartwright, chairman of Eye Health UK said: "Cigarettes cause blindness yet Britain's seven million smokers are largely unaware of the dangers. Fewer than 10 per cent realise smoking can affect their eye health. This compares to 92 per cent associating smoking with lung cancer and 87 per cent identifying a link between smoking and the risk of heart disease." Eye Health UK has published a smoking and sight loss hub on its website www.eyehealthuk.org with more information about how smoking can damage your eyesight and the benefits of quitting.