Report: Rock Concert Could Damage Hearing After Only 28 Seconds

The World Health Organization, which recommends ways countries can cooperate more closely to protect global public health, says that 1.1 billion teenagers and young adults are at risk of permanently damaging their hearing by listening to "too much, too loudly" and that over 43 million people between the age of 12 and 35 are already living with hearing loss.

The health body says in a report: “The emerging pattern of listening regularly at high volume and for a long duration poses a serious threat.

“While it is important to keep the volume down, limiting the use of personal audio devices to less than one hour a day would do much to reduce noise exposure.”

Dr. Etienne Krug, WHO director for the Department for Management of Noncommunicable Diseases, Disability, Violence and Injury Prevention, tells BBC: "As they go about their daily lives doing what they enjoy, more and more young people are placing themselves at risk of hearing loss.

"They should be aware that once you lose your hearing, it won't come back. Taking simple preventive actions will allow people to continue to enjoy themselves without putting their hearing at risk."

Krug adds: "What we're trying to do is raise awareness of an issue that is not talked about enough — but has the potential to do a lot of damage that can be easily prevented.

"We do realize this is a bit of a struggle, like alcohol consumption. Risk factors linked to pleasure are not easy to change. But we have to make people aware."

According to the WHO, a loud concert at 120 dB stops being safe after 28 seconds, and an audio device at maximum volume registers at 105 dB, and is safe for just four minutes.

Canadian metallers CANCER BATS recently joined a safety campaign headed by AllEarPlugs.com in order to raise awareness of the need to protect your hearing. Awareness is still low on hearing damage, especially among young people. Only 34 percent of those surveyed by Action On Hearing Loss believed that they would suffer damage in their lifetime. Even more worryingly, 90 percent of young people have experienced ringing in their ears — an early sign of damage — at least once.

CANCER BATS frontman Liam Cormier says: "I want to be able to crank PANTERA when I'm old and grey sitting on my porch, drinking a bucket full of black coffee. The only way I'm going to be able to still hear a thing is by taking care of my hearing now. Having a good pair of earplugs is just planning for the future."