ONE of Bolton's leading doctors - whose ground-breaking research linked smoking to blindness - has spoken at an international conference.
Simon Kelly, a consultant ophthalmologist at the Royal Bolton Hospital, spoke at the International Symposium on Smoking Cessation in Belgium.
He addressed experts from across Europe about the links between smoking and age-related macular degeneration, the commonest cause of blindness in Europe.
Mr Kelly said: "Currently, cigarette smoking is the major risk factor for the commonest cause of blindness in Europe. The public are largely unaware of this.
"We are seeking to convince the European Commission of the public health importance of the hazards of smoking on the eyes and for warnings along those lines to now appear on cigarette packets."
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