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UV Protection Campaign
The Vision Council has been working to increase sunglass and other protective eyewear purchases by promoting the importance of ultraviolet (UV) protection to consumers in a variety of ways.
2013 UV Protection Report
When it comes to the sun's dangerous ultraviolet (UV) rays, American's are not doing enough to protect their eyes and vision. A new report from The Vision Council finds that 40 percent of adults do not wear sunglasses while outdoors and nearly half do not wear them while driving. The report, The Big Picture: Eye Protection is Always in Season, highlights findings from two separate surveys about sunglass use and UV safety habits. The Vision Council also used data from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the National Weather Service to map out the 25 U.S. cities with the highest UV concentration in 2012. More than 50 U.S. cities were analyzed for solar radiation strength, season, climatic conditions, ozone concentration, cloudiness and elevation. Click here to read the full report.
The Bureau of Missing Sunglasses
In May 2012, The Vision Council launched a refreshed version of its existing UV protection campaign. This initiative, called the "Bureau of Missing Sunglasses," takes a tongue-in-cheek approach to presenting eye health/UV data, enabling it to play better with social media, broadcast outreach and special events.
The campaign's official website, missingsunglasses.com, shows social media updates from people around the world who have lost their sunglasses, and encourages those whose sunglasses have gone missing to share their predicament using the #BOMS hashtag. The site also features an interactive UV map, a free iPhone app, PackLists, UV indicator widget and other fun tools to help people find - and keep -their sunglasses. The goal of the campaign is to educate people about the harmful effects of unprotected UV exposure and ensure that everyone is aware that wearing sunglasses, or other eyewear that offers UV protection, is the best way to shield eyes from the sun.
Other resources that have been developed and included with the campaign include:
