"Glassings" in Queensland pubs spurs new regulations

November 6, 2009

Is drinking bad for your eye health? Well, it might be in certain Australian pubs.

Pubs that are labeled high risk by the Queensland government are now required by law to serve beverages in tempered bar glasses, in order to reduce the risk of injury associated with "glassing," according to the Gold Coast, an Australian news source.

"Glassing" is hitting an opponent with a beverage glass during a fight. Tempered glasses are more difficult to shatter, and are much like the lenses in a pair of safety eyeglasses.

The new regulations, which have been imposed on 74 premises, come in the wake of several events in which pub-goers experienced facial and ocular injuries. Authorities hope that the enforcement of tempered glass regulations will reduce the number of violent incidents. Some pubs have even begun using plastic cups after midnight, the news source reports.
Though "glassing" doesn't seem to be a common problem in the US, many eye injuries occur every year, during most during sports-related activities.

"Thousands of children and adults suffer sports-related eye injuries each year, and nearly all can be prevented by using the proper protective eyewear," says the American Optometric Association (AOA), which recommends that all athletes wear sport-specific safety eyeglasses.

Athletes who sustain an ocular injury should see their eye care professional immediately, the AOA suggests.