ABC7 reports that Homeland Security agents seized more than 300 counterfeit contact lenses in the El Paso, TX, area.
Investigators presented the seized goods publicly on Wednesday, warning of the dangers of such products, which are often worn to change the color of the eye for Halloween, according to the news station.
“If individuals have purchased these and they were not asked for a prescription, that is illegal,” Jack Staton, the Homeland Security Investigations Special Agent in Charge of El Paso, was quoted saying. “The companies selling these can’t sell them without asking for a prescription.”
Meanwhile, the American Optometric Association recently reminded doctors that they can report suspected violations of the law regarding the sales of illegal costume contacts lenses. By law, decorative contact lenses, whether they correct vision or not, require a prescription from an eye doctor, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
“Unfortunately, people may buy their decorative lenses illegally without a prescription from a street vendor, at a beauty supply store, on the internet, or in a novelty shop,” said AOA President Barbara L. Horn, OD. “The consequences for their vision can be very serious.”