Optometrists want mandatory standards for sunglasses, as the risk of melanoma in eyes increases.
Statistics indicate 10 per cent of melanomas are in the eye, and optometrists say protective eyewear is needed this summer - the time of greatest risk from ultra-violet exposure as the ozone hole reaches its full extent.
Optometrists will discuss the issue at their annual conference in Wellington tomorrow.
Wellington optometrist John McLennan said they would push for new laws to make current safety standards mandatory.
"But the Government is taking the stance that unless something is going to kill you, they are not going to do anything about it," he said.
It is now at the discretion of the importer or retailer to identify the UV rating of sunglasses they sell.
Mr McLennan said UV rays had also been implicated in cataracts.
The risk of damage was greatest in children, whose eyes were more transparent. They needed to wear sunglasses, but not "the toy variety."
Cancer Society spokeswoman Cath Chittenden said New Zealand should follow Australia's lead, where the standards were mandatory.
"Any product that is protecting you against UV rays should comply with mandatory standards," she said.
"At the moment, you can be paying huge amounts for sunglasses which meet UV protection standards, but cheaper sunglasses provide no protection. This is wrong - all sunglasses should be safe."
Ms Chittenden said New Zealand would take part in Australia's upcoming review of sunglass safety standard laws. "The Cancer Society will be actively working with the Ministry of Consumer Affairs to look into making the standards mandatory," she said.
The National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research yesterday said ozone levels over New Zealand this summer would be as low, and UV levels as high, as in recent years.
The ozone hole stretching over Antarctica was now 20 million sq km, down from 29 million sq km early last month.
- NZPA
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