Headphone advice falls on deaf ears
17 October 2008
Decision makers and opinion formers are finally waking up to the hearing loss time bomb threatening many young MP3 users 
Emma Harrison, head of campaigns, RNID
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Up to one in 10 people who use personal music players are risking permanent hearing loss by listening to music too loudly, scientists warn this week.
The findings, published in a report commissioned by the European Union (EU), indicate an estimated 2.5 to 10 million Europeans are at risk.
The EU Scientific Committee, who wrote the report, found that people who listen to personal music players for just five hours a week at a high volume (above 89dB) are exposing themselves to potentially harmful levels of noise. After five years this could lead to permanent hearing damage, they claim.
The EU has announced a conference in 2009 to evaluate the findings.
"I am concerned that so many young people, in particular, who are frequent users of personal music players and mobile phones at high acoustic levels, may be unknowingly damaging their hearing irrevocably," said EU Consumer Affairs Commissioner Meglena Kuneva.
"The scientific findings indicate a clear risk and we need to react rapidly. Most importantly we need to raise consumer awareness and put this information in the public domain," she added.
Safety standards are already in place across Europe that limit personal music players, such as MP3 players and portable CD players, to 100 dB - the equivalent to the noise of a car up close.
However, the researchers say that people should take more care when listening to their personal music players. They recommend limiting how long they are used for, lowering the volume and checking if there is a maximum volume setting.
The report was welcomed by the hearing loss charity RNID, whose 'Don't Lose the Music' campaign aims to raise awareness of the dangers of MP3 players.
Emma Harrison, head of campaigns at RNID said: "Decision makers and opinion formers are finally waking up to the hearing loss time bomb threatening many young MP3 users."
She added: "The campaign submitted to the EU study and our research revealed that 58 percent of 16 to 30 year olds are completely unaware of any risk to their hearing from MP3 players.
"Today's announcement that further action is needed is a vindication of this work and its aim of a UK public education campaign. We want to see the government and industry taking decisive action to save the hearing of future generations."
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