The European Commission has revealed that it is pushing for a maximum noise limit to be placed on MP3 players in a bid to protect the hearing of consumers. It follows a previous report which found that a possible 10m people in the European Union could face hearing difficulties in the future due to the extreme volume of music.
No current limit is in place, with MP3 manufacturers not being constricted to a certain decibel maximum. However the EU is calling for a suggested limit of 85 decibels, which users could then override to a maximum of 100 decibels. After concerns that deafness was increasing in younger individuals, a report discovered that many were listening to music at 120 decibels, equivalent to a jet plane taking off.
Epsom and St Helier NHS Trusts audiology consultant Dr Robin Yeoh explained “More and more young people are referred to me by their GPs with tinnitus or hearing loss as a direct result to exposure to loud music. It’s the sort of damage that in the old days would have come from industrial noise. The damage is permanent and will often play havoc with their employment opportunities and their personal lives.”
Elsewhere however Martin Callanan, conservative MEP, argued that listening volume was down to an individual’s choice. “Kids have always listened to their music loud and this is not going to stop them. You have to educate them to the risks but ultimately you have to allow personal responsibility and personal choice,” he said.
A two month consultation will begin in January, with a final decision being confirmed later in the spring.
