Make Listening Safe

Make Listening Safe Hearing loss is on the rise 1.1 billion 49 million young people globally are at risk people aged 12-35 years live with of hearing loss due to unsafe disabling hearing loss. listening practices.

MAKE LISTENING SAFE Make Listening Safe Among young people aged 12-35 years in

International Ear Care Day 2015 www.who.int/pbd/deafness/activities/MLS middle- and high-income countries:

1 in 2 young people listen to 40% are exposed to potentially unsafe levels of sound through damaging levels of sound in personal audio devices, such as entertainment venues such as smartphones, MP3 players and nightclubs, bars and sporting others. arenas.

Smartphone use is rising Listening to loud sound is Noise-induced hearing globally unsafe loss is permanent Across the world, more and Regularly listening to music or Over time listening to loud more people are using personal other audio content at high sounds for prolonged duration audio devices that play music volume through personal audio can lead to hearing loss, which and other audio content. devices and being exposed to cannot be treated by medicines loud sounds in nightclubs, or surgery. discotheques, bars or sporting arenas harm one’s hearing.

Smartphone use grew from 45% in In the United States, 40 million 2013 to 54% in 2015 in In the United Kingdom, people between the ages of 20-69 developing countries, and had the number of people exposed to years are affected by already reached 87% of population loud sounds in social settings has non-occupational noise-induced in developed countries. tripled over a 20-year period. hearing loss.

Make Listening Safe Once you lose your hearing, it won’t come back!

www.who.int/pbd/deafness/activities/MLS Safe listening is possible Hearing loss caused by loud sounds can be prevented through:

Safe Sound Raised technologies policies awareness

Governments and manufacturers can halt the rise of hearing loss that results from engaging in practices that are harmful to hearing by:

Ensuring safe personal Promoting safe listening Increasing awareness audio devices at entertainment venues Awareness campaigns should The World Health Organization Sound levels and sound be disseminated to inform young and the International distribution should be controlled people that safe listening is Telecommunication Union at nightclubs, concerts, and important for the continued developed a global standard for similar venues. enjoyment of music and other safe listening devices which sounds. recommends safe listening People frequenting these venues features for personal audio should be provided earplugs, Such campaigns should target devices. The standard access to noise-free spaces and the population at large, children advocates that these features information on safe listening and young adults, and parents should be made mandatory practices. and teachers. through government regulation. Manufacturers can also adopt this standard on a voluntary basis.

Since 2007, organizers of events in Switzerland are obliged to monitor In 2009, the European Commission and notify the public of the levels of Dangerous Decibels, a public health mandated that output levels in campaign has been successful in sound, display information about personal audio devices be set to a hearing damage risk, and distribute improving listening practices standard of 85 dB, with maximum among schoolchildren in different free earplugs, as per order of the output of 100 dB. Federal Ofﬁce. countries.

Make Listening Safe. Once you lose your hearing, it won’t come back!