On June 14, both the House of Representatives and the Senate voted to override Gov. Sanford's veto of H 3250, a bill that limits the sale of contact lenses in South Carolina. Thanks to the foresight of many people, it will be much more difficult for unlicensed retailers to endanger the health and welfare of South Carolina citizens.

Like spectacles, contact lenses are a common form of vision correction. Unlike spectacles, however, contacts are in direct contact with the eye. Because of the potential for damage to the eye, the sale and distribution of contact lenses must be regulated. The fact that a contact lens has no prescription does not lessen this potential for damage.

The recent popularity of "extreme makeovers" and the emphasis on improving one's appearance has made colored contact lenses all the more common. People have become particularly interested in non-prescription colored contacts. When fitted properly by an eye doctor, these lenses can be worn safely by many patients. The potential for harm to the eye arises when people purchase these colored contacts without being seen and fitted by an eye doctor.

There have been numerous reports of beauty stores and beach shops in South Carolina selling these lenses to people who may be unaware of the risks inherent in contact lens wear. These stores display the lenses and encourage patrons to try them on. The lenses are then placed back in containers without being disinfected for the next unsuspecting person. To make matters worse, retailers sell the lenses without any instruction as to the proper care, cleaning and disposal of the contacts.

If you talk to doctors around the state, you'll hear horror stories of patients with severe, potentially vision-threatening eye infections caused by the unsanitary conditions under which lenses are sold and the misuse of contact lenses. Alarmingly, teenagers make up a growing number of these cases.

This session, the Legislature passed a bill that makes it unlawful to dispense contact lenses without a valid, unexpired contact lens prescription from a licensed optometrist or ophthalmologist. A person who violates this law is subject to a penalty imposed by the Department of Consumer Affairs for up to $5,000 for each violation.