Why did you choose the end-of-year TD (student-organized parties) to launch the prevention campaign?
“Students will have just recently finished their exams. They may have used earplugs while studying. Their first concern will probably be the results of their exams and not the auditory damage they may suffer from loud music.”
Is a campaign necessary?
“It is absolutely necessary! Students, and the average person, in fact, are often unaware of the possible harmful effects of loud noise. They associate music with dancing, letting their hair down, having fun … but not with tinnitus (ringing in the ears) and hyperacusis (sensitivity to external noise).
They only realize this when it is too late. And that is what I aim to prevent! Did you know that permanent damage can occur from standing too close to the speakers at a music event?”
What can we do to protect our ears?
“Actually, your can stay in a space with 75 decibels for a maximum of 8 hours per day. When the ambient noise rises by just 3 decibels, the safe period is halved. That means that it is safe to stay 4 hours at 78 decibels and only 2 hours at 81 decibels. When you go out, the loudest peaks are at 110 to 130 decibels. It is therefore best to put in earplugs.”
Is that the reason for the name ‘Plug in at the party’?
“Yes, that is a part of the campaign. We worked with Sander Heremans, known from the Br(ik walls, to shape this part of the campaign. The posters, badges, banners etcetera will be all over the campus next academic year.”
But the prevention campaign is scheduled to start at the end-of-year TD?
“We will have a special booth where students can plug in (their earplugs). But that is not all, students will also have the opportunity to win two duo-tickets for Couleur Café. But I'll leave the other surprises for later. To do that, they have to come to the TD.”