NEW YORK—Health care, government and ophthalmic industry organizations and practitioners across the country are joining once again to warn the public against the dangers of costume contact lenses worn without a prescription from an eyecare professional this Halloween season. According to organizations such as the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, the American Academy of Ophthalmology and the American Optometric Association, contact lenses one for costume purposes can be detrimental to eye health and sight when worn outside the guidance and prescription of an eyecare professional.

The American Optometric Association (AOA) has released a decorative lens warning and infographic referring to findings from their 2013 American Eye-Q consumer survey. The survey found that 17 percent of Americans have worn decorative contact lenses as part of a costume or for other cosmetic purposes, and 24 percent of these purchased the non-correcting lenses without a prescription and from a source other than an eye doctor.

These sources are identified by the FDA in “Decorative Contact Lenses: Is Your Vision Worth It?,” as where not to buy contact lenses, such as Halloween or novelty stores, flea markets, street vendors, or online, unless the website used requires a prescription. The FDA’s page on the topic also details how to buy decorative contact lenses safely, recommending cosmetic lenses only be purchased after an eye exam and with a valid prescription from an eye doctor. Contact lenses, even those to be worn cosmetically, are not cosmetics or over-the-counter merchandise, but medical devices that are regulated by the FDA and illegal to distribute without prescription, the FDA said.

Earlier this week, the Orlando Business Journal reported that “the Florida Department of Health put 47 businesses on notice last week to stop the sale of designer colored contact lenses…Dubbed Operation Jack-O-Lantern, the Department of Health and local law enforcement delivered cease-and-desist notices for practicing health care without a license — a potential felony.”

More warnings have come from the American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO) in a statement outlining the “four frightening ways that non-prescription decorative lenses can hurt your eyes.” The potentially sight-damaging risks outlined include scratches, sores, infections and blindness. The AAO also provided “Costume Contact Lens Safety Guidelines” adding that cleaning, disinfecting and wearing lenses as prescribed are important to contact lens safety.

On the local level, organizations such as the Bascom Palmer Eye Institute of the University of Miami School of Medicine are reaching out to the public as well. In their “Halloween Safety Alert: Costume Contact Lenses Can Damage Eyes,” Lana Srur, MD, assistant professor of clinical ophthalmology at Bascom Palmer, said, “Contact lenses purchased and worn without an eye exam or a doctor’s prescription greatly increase the possibility of serious complications.

"One size does not fit all — especially non-prescription costume contacts, which often fit improperly. These lenses may cause injuries such as cuts and open sores in the cornea, as well as bacterial infections, which could lead to corneal scarring and vision loss.” Additional risks include conjunctivitis (pink eye), swelling of the eye (corneal edema), sensitivity to light, allergic reactions to lens coatings and interference with normal activities, including driving, she said.

Johnson & Johnson Vision Care, Inc. is also offering consumers advice and resources on safe contact lens wear and care, such as with their "Healthy Vision & Contact Lenses" tips posted online.

Halloween Safety Tips are also available from Prevent Blindness on www.preventblindness.org.