What can you do do with your unused vuvu?
9 August 2010
In the wake of several appeals from national charity Deafness Research UK, many league and non league clubs are planning to ban the Vuvuzela from their grounds.
This is being hailed by the charity as a victory for both common sense and the nation’s hearing, but as retailers enjoy record sales of these ‘tinnitus trumpets’, Deafness Research UK has a few tips on what can be done with them if you have bought one but can’t get it into your team’s ground for home games:
1. Turn it around and blow through the opposite end (it is unlikely to cause any damage to anyone’s hearing and you will get quite fit trying to generate any sort of sound.)
2. Use as a novel ‘yard of ale’ holder (adults only) (although you will need to make an impromtu ‘plug’!)
3. Use as an environmentally-friendly reusable family sized ‘cone’ for pop corn at the cinema.
4. It could be the perfect garden accessory for growing runner beans. (An attractive weatherproof alternative to bamboo or canes, and should ensure a bumper crop next season).
5. Have it handy when doing any minor plumbing jobs. Its ability to funnel water over larger distances than a traditional funnel makes it an indispensible plumbing DIY accessory!
“As a charity, the last thing we want to do is spoil anyone’s fun,” says Vivienne Michael, Chief Executive of Deafness Research UK. “But we want to safeguard people’s hearing so they can enjoy life and not bear the risk of having hearing loss. Loss of hearing is always terrible, but even more so when it is preventable. Our list above aims to show we have a sense of humour, but it will be no laughing matter if thousands of people suffer permanent hearing damage at the hands of these horns. The safest way to tackle them is not to blow them at all, but use them for something else!”
If anyone is planning to take a vuvuzela into a sports ground where they are not yet banned, Deafness Research UK’s advice is to wear ear plugs and not to blow one it within 20 metres of another person.
“Our advice for anyone sat near someone ‘playing’ a vuvuzela would be to invest in some earplugs,” continued Vivienne Michael. They are cheap, freely available and could literally save your hearing. “If you ever come away from a game or a loud concert with ringing in your ears, this is a sign of damage. People often ask us how they can estimate noise levels and as a rough guide; if you are at a game or event 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.”
Vuvuzelas can emit sound anywhere between 127 and 130 decibels (db) – a lot louder than a jet taking off and the concern is this level of noise could be omitted constantly less that a few feet away from people’s ears. Football clubs who have banned them have been concerned not just about this, but the danger that people will be unable to hear safety announcements, or the risk they could be used as weapons or missiles and thrown at players on the pitch.
Noise induced hearing loss causes real human misery and 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 matches with the sound of silence rather than the sound of victory ringing in their ears. Some horn manufacturers are now responding by producing modified horns that reduce the volume by as much as 20db. But until the position is clarified our advice on the tinnitus trumpet remains clear – find another use for your vuvuzela and take ear plugs with you to the game.”
For information on deafness and deafness-related conditions e-mail or visit Deafness Research UK’s website at www.deafnessresearch.org.uk ENDS
Notes to editors
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.
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