China to expand regulation on cosmetic contact lenses

BEIJING - China will regulate the production and sale of cosmetic colored contact lenses by including them in its list of items classified as "medical apparatus."

Some people wear such non-corrective colored contacts to change or enhance eye color for cosmetic and fashion purposes.

As these contacts are not for vision correction and medication purposes, they are currently off limits to the country's medical administration and regulators, said a statement published on the website of the State Food and Drug Administration on Thursday.

However, with the increasingly popular use of cosmetic contacts, safety and quality problems due to the regulation loophole are likely to harm consumers' health, and the administration has decided to expand the current medical regulation on contact lenses to cover cosmetic ones, the statement said.

It explained that the administration will soon issue a notice to ban the manufacture and sale of these contacts without proper registration and licenses.

The statement also warned consumers of the risks of these contacts and suggested they carefully choose and use such products.