South Dakota lawmakers try to regulate distribution of contact lenses

March 16, 2010

While many people with vision problems use contact lenses to see better, others simply wear them for a different look. Contacts that offer wearers different eye colors and designs has garnered a large following.

Some lawmakers in South Dakota believe that the contact lenses could be detrimental to the eye health of people who are simply wearing them as a fashion statement, according to the Rapid City Journal. State officials are trying to mandate a regulation that would ban the sale of contact lenses to people who do not have a prescription.

Some eye care professionals believe that lenses worn solely for cosmetic reasons could have harmful effects on the eyes over time.

"The situation you're creating at that moment is basically like having a heart attack, but it's happening in your eyes," Dr Jared Pearson told the news provider.

According to the American Optometric Association, contact lenses can be used to fix refractive errors such as hyperopia and myopia, or farsightedness and nearsightedness.