Call for tougher smoking warnings (From The Bolton News)

Call for tougher smoking warnings

1:18pm Thursday 8th May 2008 in

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A EURO MP is calling for tougher warnings on cigarette packets in a bid to encourage more people to stub it out.

Radcliffe-based MEP Gary Titley claims the current warnings encouraging people to quit are not being updated fast enough.

He is now calling for the Government and the European Commission to highlight the link between smoking and blindness.

Mr Titley said: "There is evidence that if these warnings are not kept fresh, they lose their effectiveness.

"Not only is a smoker's risk of developing age-related macular degeneration up to four times as high as a non-smoker but, for the first time ever, a link has been found to passive smoking. Passive smokers almost double their risk of sight loss."

The MEP has already written to Health Secretary Alan Johnson about the work of the Eyes and Tobacco Study Group, based at the Royal Bolton Hospital and led by consultant ophthalmic surgeon, Simon Kelly.