MPs largely unaware of smoking and sight loss link

The Macular Society is calling for sight loss warnings on cigarette packs after a poll showing that fewer than 8 per cent of MPs know for sure that smoking is linked to macular degeneration.

The charity said it was horrified by the ignorance, given that smokers are four times more likely than non-smokers to develop AMD, and smokers with certain genetic characteristics are 20 times more likely.

Its chief executive Tony Rucinski said: ‘MPs appear to be in the dark about the link between smoking and sight loss. This is terrible when in fact smoking is a major factor in the biggest cause of blindness in the country; age-related macular degeneration.