When shopping for presents for children, only 16 per cent of Canadians say they keep eye safety in mind.

That’s according to a recent survey by the Canadian Ophthalmological Society, which says eye care professionals recommend avoiding toys that pose a high risk of eye injuries this holiday season. Those include lasers, sharp toys, aerosols like silly string, and flying or projectile toys especially if safety glasses aren’t worn.

Hooper says tips people can use to find eye-safe gifts include:

• Be sure to confirm the toy is age-appropriate
• Avoid certain toys that pose a high risk of eye injuries such as toy guns, lasers, aerosols like silly string, flying toys and long, pointy toys such as swords
• Show children how to properly play with the toys in a safe manner
• Keep toys that pose a potential eye injury risk away from children unless supervised by an adult
• Include protective eyewear when giving sports equipment
• Find out if the packaging has been inspected and approved by the proper regulatory bodies, including the Canada Consumer Product Safety Act (CCPSA), Canadian Standards Association (CSA), or the American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM)

For the full interview, catch Thompson Today at 12:40 and 5:10 this afternoon