Thousands of youngsters are risking their sight by buying fashionable sunglasses that offer little or no protection from harmful UV rays, experts have warned.

Teenagers and young adults often choose sunglasses purely on the basis of price and style without considering safety, a survey for the College of Optometrists found.

The survey showed that 63 percent of those questioned were more influenced by how sunglasses looked and how much they cost than by the protection they offered.

This rose to 80 percent amongst respondents in the under-25 age group - with many keen to emulate the brands and style of glasses worn by celebrities in glossy magazines.

Worryingly, one in seven of the 1,500 surveyed did not wear sunglasses at all.

Although all brands legally sold in British shops have to meet basic standards, there are plenty of fake copies of expensive and fashionable brands on the market that do not comply.

And many buy cheap sunglasses on beach holidays abroad, where the same standards may not apply.

Experts say wearing poor-quality sunglasses could damage eyes and increase the risk of cataracts, which can cause sight loss in later life.

People with light-colored eyes are most at risk from sun damage if they fail to wear good-quality sunglasses to protect against ultraviolet rays.

Experts say that although designer-label shades generally offer good lens quality, the cheaper sunglasses from high street chain stores provided eye protection that was just as good and, in some cases, better.

They suggest a simple quality test before buying: hold the sunglasses at arm's length and tilt them slightly.

You should focus on an object in the distance, move them up and down and see if there is any distortion, especially at the lens edges. If the lenses are high-quality, there should be no movement.

Dr Susan Blakeney, optometric adviser at the College of Optometrists, said: 'It is particularly worrying that younger people have so little regard for their eyes when up to 80 percent of exposure to UV over a person's lifetime occurs before the age of 18.

"It's therefore especially important to make sure that children wear sunglasses so that any long-term damage is minimized."

(China Daily via Daily Mail June 25, 2007)