P.E.I. doctor warns air horns can damage hearing [Video]

CHARLOTTETOWN –

Prince Edward Island’s chief public health officer is sounding the alarm on ear-splitting air horns at hockey arenas.

Dr. Heather Morrison sent a letter last month to hockey associations in the province, warning about the potential harmful effects on hearing from compressed air horns that some hockey fans blast to encourage their team or celebrate a goal.

She cites research indicating that compressed air horns can produce sounds at 100 decibels or higher, well above the limit of 70 decibels considered safe.

“When an individual is exposed to long, repeated or close proximity exposure to decibels higher than 70 decibels, it can cause hearing loss,” Morrison wrote in the Dec. 10 letter. “I thought I would take this opportunity to share the concerns that have been raised to our office.”

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John Abbott, general manager of …