Loud music deafness warning for teenagers in school

The lesson drawn up by Action on Hearing Loss Cymru warns of the dangers of loud music

Teenagers across Wales are to take lessons on the risks of damaging their hearing by listening to loud music.

Deafness charity Action on Hearing Loss Cymru has made a DVD as part of the personal and social education curriculum for Year 7 and 8 pupils.

It explains how a typical rock concert is around 100 decibels when the safe listening level is under 80 decibels.

Health Minister Lesley Griffiths is launching the DVD at Maelor Secondary School, Wrexham, on Friday.

It will then be sent with a lesson plan to secondary schools across Wales.

Charity director Richard Williams said: "One in six of us will encounter problems with our hearing, but hearing loss and tinnitus associated with noise exposure could be prevented if people were more informed and aware of how to look after their hearing.

"Simple actions such as not listening to music too loud, or wearing ear plugs at loud concerts can all help to protect your hearing for the future."

'Louder than a drill'

He said pupils learning about hearing loss and hearing protection as part of their school education was a "big step forward in helping to reduce the number of people affected by noise-induced hearing loss".

A spokesperson for the charity, formerly known as the Royal National Institute for Deaf People (RNID), added: "Many of the loud noises that we expose our ears to could in fact lead to issues such as tinnitus and hearing loss in the future.

"The average rock concert exposes the ear to around 100 decibels, louder than a drill or busy train station and much higher than the safe listening level of under 80 decibels."

The Royal National Institute for Deaf People (RNID) estimates 480,000 people in Wales are deaf or hard of hearing.