Did You Know Smoking Can Cause Blindness?

A survey published recently by the Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB) reveals that just 30 percent of people in the UK are aware that smoking can cause blindness. Only one in three know that smokers are twice as likely as non-smokers to one day lose their sight. Smoking is a proven cause of Age-Related Macular Degeneration (ARMD), the UK's leading cause of vision loss.

Quitting smoking produces great benefits, as studies have shown that people who stopped smoking 20 years ago have about the same risk of developing AMD as non-smokers do. The RNIB is asking the Government to post warnings on cigarette packages and to fund a major public awareness campaign on the dangers of smoking to eyesight.

Read more:

• Macular Degeneration Risk Factors
• Tips for Macular Degeneration Patients
• Effects of Smoking on Vision

_{Source: Royal National Institute of Blind People, Only One In Three Know Smoking Can Cause Blindness, UK. Medical News Today, 17 Jul 2007.}