Media Invite - for immediate release:
What: Students in Norwich step into virtual ageing photo booth to see how they might look when they reach 70 if they continue to smoke
When: Friday 5 November between 10am and 10.30am
Where: City College Norwich (outside the front of the college), Ipswich Road, Norwich
Future vision
As part of the Royal National Institute of Blind People's (RNIB) Future Vision tour, students from City College Norwich will this week enter a virtual ageing booth to see how they could look when older and learn how to reduce the risk of becoming blind later in life.
The UK wide tour - which will be in Norwich from Today until this Friday - aims to show students how their lifestyle can affect their vision. It hopes to encourage them to look after their eyes by highlighting how they can prevent serious eye conditions from developing such as by not smoking.
Virtual ageing booth
The virtual ageing photo booth simulates how students might look when they reach 70 based on their current lifestyle choices. On leaving the booth, students are given a 'before' and 'after' photograph of themselves, along with eye health information explaining how to avoid risk factors linked to eye disease.
RNIB's research has found that almost 2 million people are living with sight loss in the UK - but more than 50 per cent of sight loss can be avoided. If detected sufficiently early many eye conditions can be treated or managed. Not smoking and having regular eye tests are particularly effective ways of minimising the risk of developing serious sight disease when older.
Lifestyle choices and eye disease
Barbara McLaughlan, RNIB's Eye Health Campaigns Manager, said: "Our focus is on younger people because we want to show them, in a very tangible way, how their lifestyle choices may affect their risk of developing eye disease in later life. RNIB's Future Vision tour shows our commitment to making avoidable sight loss a thing of the past."
Many people are unaware of the link between smoking and sight loss despite it being as strong as the link between smoking and lung cancer. 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.
The Future Vision tour comes to Norwich as part of an ongoing programme of information and activities offered by City College Norwich to promote and support the health and wellbeing of its students. The college wants to help make students aware of the risks attached to their eye health that result from smoking.
Student health
Dick Palmer, Principal at City College Norwich, said: "The health and wellbeing of our students is a key priority for the college, which is why we are happy to support the Future Vision campaign. This is an excellent and engaging way for students and staff to discover how smoking can affect their sight in the long run and to learn about the importance of eye tests."
Tory MP Chloe Smith (Norwich North) and the Lib Dem Simon Wight (Norwich South) will be attending the pod on Friday 5 November between 10am and 10.30am.
Norfolk Community Health and Care 'Stop Smoking' team will also be on hand giving out information to students.
The booth was designed by Hartnell Creative Communication Ltd.
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Notes to Editors
Media are invited to have a go in the pod. To arrange this please contact Emma Mercer, RNIB Media Relations Officer, on 020 7391 2085 or email emma.mercer@rnib.org.uk. Out of hours mobile 07968 482812.
Students using the booth and a spokesperson from RNIB and the college will be available for further comment on the day.
Everyday around 100 people in the UK start to lose their sight. There are almost 2 million people in the UK with sight problems. RNIB is the leading charity working in the UK offering practical support, advice and information for anyone with sight difficulties. If you, or someone you know, has a sight problem RNIB can help. Call the RNIB Helpline on 0303 123 9999 or visit www.rnib.org.uk.