The latest fashion fad among teenagers has turn the eye into an ornament. Not the eyelashes or eyebrows, but the eyeball itself, and the Food and Drug Administration is so worried about colored contact lenses being used improperly that it is seizing them from some stores. Here's ABC's Dan Harris.
For many teenagers these days, a plain old Halloween mask apparently will not suffice. It has got to be something more eye-catching. And these colored contacts aren't just for special occasions, they are also everyday fashion accessories. "Some people want to change their hair, some people want to change clothes. I figured hey why don't I change my eyes?"
By law, you need a prescription for colored contacts. But many teenagers have been buying bootleg versions. According to the Food and Drug Administration, improper use can lead to permanent eye damage, even blindness.
Using a hidden camera, ABCNEWS 2020 found that a teenager could buy decorative lenses without a prescription at this hair salon, this beauty supply store; "We have blue and green." even this gas station. Robin Raws who's fifteen bought colored lenses at a corner store in Cleveland. "The next morning I woke up, my eye was closed, and I couldn't see out of it." She had a severe bacterial infection, and had to have a corneal transplant. Her vision is still impaired. That's why in time for Halloween, the FDA has decided to take a more activist role. "We are not allowing these products to come into this country anymore."
Teenagers may still able to get the lenses. ABCNEWS was able to buy a pair on the Internet today without a prescription. The FDA insists a few high-profile busts will send the right message to illegal sellers of colored contacts And to the teenagers intent on looking deranged or demonic this Halloween, the FDA says that's fine. provided you've seen an eye doctor first.