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Young risk blindness by picking sunglasses for style

(Daily Mail)
Updated: 2007-06-25 14:58

Thousands of youngsters are risking their sight by buying fashionable sunglasses that offer little or no protection from harmful UV rays, experts have warned.

Teenagers and young adults often choose sunglasses purely on the basis of price and style without considering safety, a survey for the College of Optometrists found.

The survey showed that 63 per cent of those questioned were more influenced by how sunglasses looked and how much they cost than by the protection they offered.

This rose to 80 per cent amongst respondents in the under-25 age group - with many keen to emulate the brands and style of glasses worn by celebrities in glossy magazines.

Worryingly, one in seven of the 1,500 surveyed did not wear sunglasses at all.

Although all brands legally sold in British shops have to meet basic standards, there are plenty of fake copies of expensive and fashionable brands on the market that do not comply.

And many buy cheap sunglasses on beach holidays abroad, where the same standards may not apply.

Experts say wearing poor-quality sunglasses could damage eyes and increase the risk of cataracts, which can cause sight loss in later life.