SPECSAVERS – which has a branch in Keighley’s Airedale Shopping Centre – is spotlighting the impact smoking can have on people’s sight and hearing.

The opticians say the effect of smoking on lungs is well known, but fewer people are aware of other dangers.

Giles Edmonds, for Specsavers, said: “Studies have shown that smoking can double your chances of developing cataracts, triple chances of age-related macular degeneration (AMD), increase the risk of uveitis – inflammation of the middle layer of the eye – and double the risk of diabetes.

“Whilst traditional tobacco smokers remain the most at risk of developing AMD, research also indicates that vapour from e-cigarettes can cause irritation and lead to dry eye syndrome. Smoking may also damage your hearing, with smokers being as much as 70 per cent more likely to suffer with hearing loss than non-smokers.”

Figures indicate that nearly half of smokers have smoked more since the first lockdown began. And smoking among young adults has increased by a quarter compared to pre-pandemic levels.