Campaigns

Party conferences 2005 - Smoking and AMD

Summary: RNIB and AMD Alliance UK promote the link between smoking and sight loss at the 2005 party conferences.

RNIB, as part of AMD Alliance, launched an awareness campaign on the links between smoking and blindness at the annual Liberal Democrat, Labour and Conservative Party Conferences during September and October.

What we are asking the Government to do

We want the Government to add warnings about the link between smoking and sight loss to cigarette packs and to make sight loss an integral message within public education campaigns on the dangers of smoking. Research proves that campaign messages about smoking and sight loss would encourage significantly more people to quit smoking. Crucially, sight is the sense that people most fear losing. All of this makes our call for the inclusion of this information even more urgent.

The following factsheets are available to download

Our party conference campaign “smoke gets in your eyes” uses unconventional “smokers' accessories” such as white canes, low vision aids and other equipment used by blind and partially sighted people. This communicates the message that smoking doubles your risk of sight loss.

Our party conference stand 1

The “Smokers' Accessories” concept was devised by Hartnell Creative Communications (telephone 01297 44 42 00).

Our 'Smokers' Accessories stand wins two awards

We were delighted when delegates at the Liberal Democrat party conference awarded our stand “the stand that best puts across its message” and the prize for “the best commercial/charity stand”.

2005 Party Conference update

Parliamentary campaign

In November 2005 RNIB and AMD Alliance launched a parliamentary campaign to secure warnings on cigarette packs and inclusion in public health campaigns about the risks to sight caused by smoking.

We contacted MPs and Peers to seek their support and to discuss what can be done to ensure that the 13 million smokers in the UK are fully informed about the links between sight loss and smoking.

Parliamentary Launch

Party conferences 2004

In 2004 RNIB with AMD Alliance UK and Novartis Ophthalmic won the prize of “Best stand at the Labour Party Conference”. In addition the stand was featured in two national newspapers and was visited by Cherie Blair.

Back to AMD Alliance Homepage

Content author: campaign@rnib.org.uk

Last updated: 20/10/2008 15:51

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Quiz

Smokers are twice as likely to develop eye diseases such as cataracts and age-related macular degeneration, which can lead to blindness.




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