Aware that noise can be harmful, Gabriela Ruiz found the group against noise ‘WaHI-Inwood Task Force on Noise’ on social networks, and joined the fight.
“To face the impact that noise has in this area of the city, for those of us who live and work here,” Ruiz explained.
And while New Yorkers are used to and exposed to the noise of the city that never sleeps on a daily basis, Ruiz believes more can be done to minimize the problem.
“We have been working with different government agencies and community leaders, our elected officials to propose measures and see what can be done,” Ruiz added.
Ruiz.
Some of the noises that affect the community, according to Ruiz are:
-Fireworks throughout the summer
-Horns in restaurants and shops
-Cars with modified mufflers.
-People with horns on the sidewalks.
-And illegal motorcycles.
More than just a nuisance, prolonged exposure to loud noise can have serious health effects.
“Even if it is in small amounts, it can cause hearing problems, which is the most common health problem,” said Tania Florimon, a pediatrician who is an expert in public health. “
Sometimes the hearing problem can be reversible, that is, you lose hearing at the moment or it can be permanent, depending on how many decibels you were exposed to. It can cause migraine problems, anxiety, sleep problems, and if we don’t sleep well, it can cause cognitive problems, such as memory problems,” added Florimón.
In addition, it harms the smallest of the home.
“It can be reflected at school that the child cannot understand the subjects well, cannot concentrate well, another thing that we also see is the problem of anxiety and hyperactivity when we have a lot of sounds, concentration problems also when there is a lot of noise and exposure,” said Florimón. “In the little ones, if it is having an effect on their hearing, we can see a speech problem that is very important.”
NYC Health offers tips to reduce noise such as:
Talk to neighbors and file complaints with 311.
Limit exposure to noise in public places.
Use earplugs or earmuffs.
And reduce the volume when listening to music or using headphones.
Manhattan Borough President Mark Levine is pushing to reduce noise in economically disadvantaged neighborhoods.
“What we are supporting is a bill in Albany that would allow the creation of a camera program, that automatically a car that emits too loud a noise, be it from the engine or horn, that is going to be issued a ticket,” he said. levine.
And believe it or not, being exposed to train noise on platforms for more than 15 minutes can cause temporary hearing loss, according to experts.
2023-07-19 15:31:00
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