Vuvuzela gets the red card from Deafness Research UK
21 June 2010
The World Cup may have kicked off in South Africa, but national charity Deafness Research UK is adding its voice to the warnings that the competition could also score an own goal - with football fans risking permanent noise induced hearing loss, from the constant use of Vuvuzela horns.
These horns can emit sound anywhere between 127 and 130 decibels (db) – louder than a jet taking off – and the concern is this level of noise is being omitted constantly and all less than a few feet away from people’s ears. Those who have raised concerns have been branded “killjoys”1 or accused of interfering with South African culture, but these warnings could literally be falling on deaf ears if nothing is done. With the horns set to become next season’s ‘must have’ football accessory in the UK, there is an urgent need to raise public awareness of the risks they pose.
Vivienne Michael, Chief Executive of Deafness Research UK, said: “No one wants to spoil the fun, but many people attending the matches in South Africa will be unaware of the risks they are taking with their hearing. We believe it is common sense that fans should be made aware of the dangers.
Noise induced hearing loss causes real human misery, which charities like Deafness Research UK are working to prevent every day. Extended exposure to noise at just 85 decibels is enough to risk irreversible hearing damage. At 130 decibels, it’s possible that some people are going to come away from this world cup with the sound of silence rather than the sound of victory ringing in their ears.”
Many people do not realise there is a considerable difference between, say 80 and 85 decibels. As a basic guide, 30 db is a whisper, 60 db is normalspeaking, 80 db is traffic noise, 110 db is the standard sound of power tools, 120 db is a jet taking off and 130 db sees the onset of physical pain in the ears. To put the Vuvuzela into context, 91 db is considered safe for perhaps a few hours, while anything over 120 db can see permanent damage set in after just a few minutes of exposure.
“Our advice to people is to invest in some earplugs,” continued Vivienne. “They are cheap, freely available and could, literally, save your hearing. If you have already come away from a game with ringing in your ears, this is a sign of damage. People often ask us how they can tell what the noise level is and as a rough guide, if you are at the game and can’t carry on a conversation with someone next to you, if you have to shout to make yourself heard - then clearly you are in an environment with noise levels greater than 85 decibels.”
Deafness Research UK is advising people to check with their GP on their return from the World Cup to ensure that no lasting damage has been done. If people are going to the odd game, or are only experiencing short term exposure (e.g. few hours) to noise between 80-85 db, they should be fine, but those attending many games with higher noise levels may have more cause for concern.
While FIFA chief Sepp Blatter has defended the horn as part of South African football culture, the constant noise it produces has come in for criticism from footballers, commentators and fans alike2 and amid fears about hearing loss, concerns have been raised that people may miss important announcements (perhaps in the event of an emergency) or that the horns could potentially act as a vector for spreading colds and flu on a far greater scale than coughing or shouting. If this horn becomes a common sight in the UK next year, Deafness Research UK has some clear advice:
“Rather than calling for the horns to be banned, our suggestion would be to limit the level of sound they can produce to a safer level,” suggested Vivienne. “Our calls to introduce this for MP3 players is now being heeded and it seems that some horn manufacturers are also answering the call and producing horns with a modified mouthpiece to bring the volume down by as much as 20db. But until the position is clearer, we advise people to take ear plugs along to the next game.”
ENDS
Notes to editors
1. Many references. See Daily Telegraph chief sports reporter Paul Kelso – described critics of the horns as “killjoys” and said they should “stop moaning.” (June 14, 2010).
2. Numerous references in newspapers, television and on line. Sepp Blatter’s comments have been widely reported. Criticism of the horns has come in from many footballers from all countries, including Xabi Alonso (Spain), Patrice Evra (France), Lionel Messi (Italy) and Christiano Ronaldo (Portugal). On June 15, the BBC reported hundreds of complaints from viewers concerning the noise the horns made
About Deafness Research UK
- Deafness Research UK is the country’s only charity dedicated to finding new cures, treatments and technologies for deaf, hard of hearing and other hearing impaired people.
- The charity supports high quality medical research into the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of all forms of hearing impairment including tinnitus.
- The Deafness Research UK Information Service provides free information and advice based on the latest scientific evidence and informed by leading experts. The Information Service can be contacted on Freephone 0808 808 2222
- For more information on research into deafness, tinnitus and other hearing conditions, log on to the website at www.deafnessresearch.org.uk where you can access a wide range of information. Alternatively you can e-mail Deafness Research UK at
- One in seven people in the UK – almost nine million people - suffer hearing loss.
- Deafness Research UK was founded in 1985 by Lord (Jack) and Lady Ashley of Stoke.
- In January 2008, Action for Tinnitus Research (ATR) was linked with Deafness Research UK under a uniting direction order under section 96(6) of the Charities Act 1993.
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