(Press Release) Prevent Blindness is joining the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in support of its annual Tips From Former Smokers campaign to help educate the public on the negative impact that smoking may have on vision.
According to the 50th Anniversary Surgeon General’s Report on Smoking and Health, smoking can cause serious eye diseases, including age-related macular degeneration, the leading cause of vision loss in those ages 65 and older, and cataract, the leading cause of blindness in the world. And smokers with diabetes are at higher risk of developing diabetic retinopathy.
Over the years, the Tips campaign has featured a variety of people talking about their first-hand experiences of the negative health consequences of smoking. For the first time, the 2015 campaign includes the testimony from Marlene, age 68 from New York, who is currently losing her vision to AMD – directly linked to her years of cigarette smoking.
Prevent Blindness and CDC are working together to help raise awareness about the dangers of smoking on vision. The goal is to provide education, tools and resources and encourage all smokers to get help to quit. The groups are offering access to free information on a variety of eye health topics such as AMD, Cataract, and Diabetic Retinopathy as well as tips on how leading a healthy lifestyle can help save sight. Customizable fact sheets and additional resources are free to download at www.preventblindness.org/smoking.
“By joining forces with CDC, we can work together to motivate as many people as possible to quit smoking and improve not only their overall health, but help to save their vision in the future,” said Hugh R. Parry, president and CEO of Prevent Blindness.
For more information about Prevent Blindness, CDC’s Tips From Former Smokers campaign, or general eye health, visit www.preventblindness.org, or call (800) 331-2020.