Media invite 08 June 2011
What: Students step into virtual ageing photo booth to see how they might look when they reach 70 if they continue to smoke
When: 13-17 June, 2011, between 11am and 4pm
Where:
June 13-14: North Nottinghamshire College, Carlton Road car park, Worksop, Notts S81 7HP
June 15: New College Nottingham, Basford Hall campus, Stockhill Lane, Nottingham, NG6 0NB
June 16-17: New College Nottingham, Clarendon campus, Pelham Avenue, Nottingham, NG5 1AL
Future Vision
As part of the Royal National Institute of Blind People's (RNIB) Future Vision tour, students from Nottinghamshire Colleges will next week enter a virtual ageing photo booth to see how they could look when older and learn how to reduce the risk of becoming blind later in life.
The Future Vision tour is part of Nottingham's Sight Matters Week, which is hosted by the Low Vision Services Committee and this year coincides with National Eye Health Week. A number of events will take place across Nottinghamshire throughout the week to raise awareness of the simple steps people can take to reduce the risk of preventable blindness. (1)
The pod
The pod - landing in Nottingham between June 13 and 17 - 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 for instance by not smoking.
The booth simulates how students might look when they reach 70 based on whether they smoke or not. 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.
Research
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.
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."
Smoking and sight loss
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.
Nicola Wade, Regional Manager for Action for Blind People, said: "The physical results of smoking can be very obvious and can dramatically affect the way people look as they get older. But, the damaging effects that smoking can have on your eyesight may not be noticeable until it is too late. By showing these results we hope that young people will work to take good care of their health and their eyesight."
Angela Adams, Head of Student Services at North Nottinghamshire College, said: "We are extremely excited to welcome the pod to Worksop and see the ageing booth in action. The College is committed to health promotion and smoking cessation and welcomes the opportunity to raise awareness further using modern technologies. I am sure that this will be real eye-opener, literally, for our students who are often totally unaware of the risks to their health in the future from their lifestyle choices at this age."
NHS information on how to stop smoking will be available for students throughout the week.
The booth was designed by Hartnell Creative Communication Ltd.
-ENDS-
Notes to Editors
The media are invited to have a go in the pod. To arrange this please contact Emma Mercer, RNIB Senior Media Relations Officer, on 020 7391 2085 or emma.mercer@rnib.org.uk Out of hours mobile 07968 482812.
For Action for Blind People media enquiries contact Savannah Wiza, Action press office on 020 7635 3027/ 07739 819954 or email savannah.wiza@actionforblindpeople.org.uk Out of hours mobile 07739 819954.
For more information from the colleges please contact Diane Thornton, Marketing and Publicity Officer at North Nottinghamshire College, on 01909 504697, and Nicola Grimshaw, PR and Communications Assistant at New College Nottingham, on 0115 911 3691.
(1) The Nottingham Low Vision Services Committee (LVSC) is made up of representatives from the Nottinghamshire Royal Society for the Blind, Nottingham City and County Councils, Nottingham City Primary Care Trust, Action for Blind People, RNIB, Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust, The Guide Dogs for the Blind Association and service user representatives.
Students using the booth will be available for interviews on each day along with spokespeople from RNIB, Action and the college.
If you are unable to attend, photos can be sent out following the event on request.
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
Action for Blind People is a national charity with local reach, providing practical help and support to blind and partially sighted people of all ages. We are part of RNIB Group, bringing together a unique combination of complementary strengths and expertise to deliver services in line with the UK Vision Strategy. If abbreviating "Action for Blind People", please use "Action" rather than AFBP or ABP.
Facts about smoking and sight loss
Over one and half million people in the South East* may unknowingly be doubling their risk of sight loss
The link between smoking and the sight condition age-related macular degeneration (AMD) has proven to be as strong as the link between smoking and lung cancer, yet few people are aware that smoking can damage your eye sight. AMD is the UK's leading cause of sight loss in the UK. Around 500,000 people in the UK have AMD and an estimated 54,000 people have the condition as a result of smoking. Smoking is the only proven cause of AMD that people can do anything about but most people are not aware of the link and have not heard of the condition.
Research shows that awareness of AMD is low and that only 40 per cent of people in the UK believe that smoking can harm sight. However, at the same time seven out of 10 smokers would either stop smoking permanently or cut down to avoid blindness in later life.**
How does smoking affect your sight?
Smoking doubles your risk of sight loss. Tobacco chemicals damage the blood vessels behind your eyes and increase your risk of developing Age Related Macular Degeneration (AMD). Research shows that the risk to your sight is increased by anything from two to four times. Smoking is also associated with other eye diseases including nuclear cataract.
What happens if I stop smoking?
The good news is that if you stop smoking the risk of losing your sight decreases over time. Research has shown that people who stopped smoking 20 years ago have a similar risk of developing AMD as non-smokers.
Why are regular eye tests important?
A regular eye test is a vital health check - it can help detect eye diseases before you notice any effect on your sight. Early treatment can often prevent your sight from getting worse. We recommend that you have an eye test at least once every two years or more often if advised by a health professional.
Regionally the highest prevalence of smokers is in the North West, where 23 per cent of people were cigarette smokers. The prevalence of cigarette smoking was lowest, at 18 per cent, in the South West.
Regional percentages of people smoking cigarettes 2009
All percentages are taken from people aged 16 or over.
-
North East 22
-
North West 23
-
Yorkshire and the Humber 22
-
East Midlands 19 West Midlands 22
-
East of England 19
-
London 22
-
South East 19
-
South West 18
-
All of England 21
* 1,520,000 smokers in the South East in 2009. Census 2001
** AMD Alliance International: Awareness of age-related macular degeneration and associated risk factors. Report on global survey conducted by EOS Gallup Europe in 2005.