Ross students' eye-opener!
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ROSS-SHIRE students starting new courses in Inverness could come face to face with a nasty shock next week.
A virtual ageing photo-booth will give students a ‘before’ and ‘after’ photograph of themselves showing how they might look at the age of 70 if they continue to smoke - with a warning that their risk of sight loss almost doubles if they do.
The photo-booth’s software uses information that students input about their smoking habits and other lifestyle choices to construct an image of them in later life.
And with the effects smoking has on the vascular system, they’re being warned it might not be a welcome glimpse of the future!
The initiative is part of the Royal National Institute of Blind People’s Future Vision roadshow, which is visiting colleges across the UK to spread the anti-smoking message.
"Whilst most people know that smoking causes cancer, they don’t realise that they are also gambling with their eyesight," said Ian Brown of RNIB Scotland. "Only five per cent of teenagers in a recent study identified smoking as a cause of blindness.
"The link between smoking and age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is as strong as the link with lung cancer, yet few people - especially young people - even know what AMD is. In fact, it’s the UK’s leading cause of sight loss. People who smoke not only double the risk of developing AMD, they also tend to develop it earlier than non-smokers do."
Smoking can also increase the risk of developing cataracts. While these are treatable, they remain a major cause of sight loss. Furthermore, smoking can make diabetes-related sight problems worse. Cigarette smoking increases free radicals, which accelerate ageing, and alter the body’s ability to absorb or extract necessary vitamins and minerals from food.
However, stopping smoking can halt or reverse damage to the eyes, depending on the severity and type of disease. In the case of AMD, former smokers have only a slightly increased risk compared with those who have never smoked.
A survey conducted by RNIB showed that in the UK, 73 per cent of smokers aged 18-24 would consider stopping smoking permanently or reducing smoking to avoid blindness in later life. "Fifty per cent of all sight loss is avoidable if tackled early enough," emphasises Brown. "Not smoking is as important as having regular eye tests in minimising the risk of developing serious sight disease when older."
David Hosey, vice-principal of the college, said: "Inverness College is predominately engaged in the development of the cognitive range and ability of our learners. We also promote health and well-being as an integral aspect of our curriculum and fully endorse the educational work associated with this RNIB project. Education about smoking and its implications allows informed choices to be made." Health courses at the college include that Access to Nursing and HNC Health.
The Future Vision roadshow will be at Inverness College until Wednesday. More info can be found on the RNIB website at www.rnib.org.uk
