Sale of Unauthorized Contact Lenses

Amarillo, a city in southwest Texas, U.S.A. was in the news not too long ago when health authorities cracked down on unscrupulous and unauthorized dealers of contact lenses. These dealers were operating at flea markets. It is illegal to sell contact lenses at flea markets.

The authorities from the Texas department of health issued a statement urging people not to buy contact lenses from vendors who were unauthorized to sell them and did not ask for a prescription when you approached them for a pair of contact lenses. Such vendors used unsanitary handling and storage practices and their main business was to offload contact lenses to people who were not aware of the dangers from buying lenses from such locations.

Although the vendors were selling non-powered, tinted lenses for cosmetic use and were not selling corrective lenses, they were throwing caution and hygiene to the winds by selling these lenses in a manner that could compromise public health and safety. A number of customers visited the flea market and tried on contact lenses. Permanent eye damage can occur from infections caused by these unsafe handling practices and by improper care and cleaning of the lenses.

These were relatively cheaper than the lenses available at authorized or company outlets. The price that the customer might land up paying is a risk of infection to the eyes.

When it comes to contact lenses, we should not compromise on quality and safety. There are a number of reputable and scrupulous outlets that sell contact lenses near the place where you live, no matter where you are in the US. A cursory glance at the yellow pages or an online search will reveal names, addresses and phone numbers. You can visit the websites of such outlets and browse through the online catalogues.

As far as contact lenses are concerned, we should never compromise on quality. A pair of contact lenses from an authorized outlet is no doubt more expensive than what you would get at a flea market. At least you are not compromising on the health and safety of your eyes.