We’re backing a nationwide campaign to raises awareness of the link between smoking and sight threatening conditions.
The team is helping the Association of Optometrists to promote its Stub it out campaign by displaying posters and leaflets in our practices in Woodseats and Crosspool. Stub it out is the Association’s first national eye health campaign centred on the effects of smoking and is designed to give people reasons to stop.
Alex is backing the month-long campaign that is part of Public Health England’s Stoptober initiative that is based on research that shows if you can quit smoking for 28-days, you are five times more likely to stop for good.
He said: “As a smoker, you are twice as likely to lose your vision compared to a non-smoker, yet only 18% of people recognise the connection between eye disease and smoking.
“In addition, smokers are up to four times more likely to develop age-related macular degeneration – the leading cause of sight loss in the UK, so we’re sharing the AOP’s campaign resources to encourage smokers to stop for good and help protect their sight.”
He concluded: “Raising awareness and educating people about the importance of looking after their eyes through better lifestyle choices is absolutely vital to addressing the nation’s eye health problems.”
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