Novelty contact lenses hurt children as Sask. court case shows

[Costume contact lenses can have scary consequences/CBC News]

An Edmonton-based toy company pleaded guilty this week to violating Saskatchewan’s Optometry Act when it sold novelty contact lenses that injured children in Moose Jaw and Regina.

CMS Famous Toys pleaded guilty to two counts of violating the act in a Regina courtroom, Crown counsel Ian McKay told the Moose Jaw Times Herald.

CMS both distributes toys and runs a separate store called Halloween Alley. The company was first fined $1,000 in November for improperly selling coloured contact lenses, which is not allowed under Section 23 of the Optometry Act.

The company was later charged with the two other violations when two children came forward after the November fine. The kids experienced eye injuries, including erosion of the cornea, after wearing the coloured lenses.

Regulations requiring the same medical-device safety standards for cosmetic or non-prescription contact lenses as already exist for prescription lenses are set to come into effect nationally in July.

The cosmetic lenses are currently regulated as consumer products, but pose the same complication risks as corrective lenses. The risk of corneal infection related to lens wearing is 12.5 times higher in cosmetic lenses than corrective lenses, according to a Health Canada statement released in July.

“There is an abundance of evidence highlighting the potential dangers — including blindness — of using non-corrective lenses without professional oversight,” the Canadian Ophthalmological Society’s website says. “The majority of complications arise from improper use and handling.”

However, CMS believes the lenses are safe and plans to continue selling them outside of Saskatchewan, the Herald paper reported. Company president Richard Pierson said there were no complaints about the product before the court dates, and the contact lenses were registered under Health Canada.

A representative for CMS Famous Toys was not immediately available for comment.