Children's sunglasses are not toys

In recent months the European Commission's group of experts on toy safety has circulated a document expressing the need for greater clarity about, and attention to, toys that imitate some individual protection devices. Approached directly by the Ministry of Industry, Certottica was called upon to give an opinion on this subject.

According to the Italian Institute for the Certification of Optical Products, children's sun glasses should never be classified as toys, nor is the application of a specific warning 'Caution! This is a toy and not a protection device' considered a sufficient safeguard for children's health. In effect, the development of sight takes place between birth and about six years of age (70% matures between six months and two years). According to recent statistics, 25% of children have sight problems and 12.5% of these wear lenses all the time.

A fireman's helmet that imitates a protection device, but cannot be confused with the real thing, can be considered a toy with no risks for the child, but toy sunglasses (i.e. with non-filtering tinted lenses) could heighten the danger from the UV light to which the child is exposed: dark lenses reduce luminosity and cause the pupils to dilate, thus permitting the entry of a larger amount of invisible and harmful ultraviolet rays.