“Beautiful Noise”, the song performed by Neil Diamond in the ’70s, opined about “the songs of the cars on their furious flights”. In those days relatively empty streets would have cars just whoosh by harmlessly.

Statistics now show that the number of cars on the streets has tripled since then and the noise that Neil Diamond sang about is no longer beautiful. In fact, instead of a whoosh, cars and motor vehicles in general are now a cacophony of deafening sounds with modified mufflers and large amplified sound systems.

Noise levels have increased and dangerously so. Noise pollution is increasing at an alarming rate and is having adverse effects on our health, to which many people are oblivious. While not commonly known, loud noise affects people’s health by causing stress and eventually leading to hearing loss.

For this reason, the Centre for Hearing and Communication (CHC) USA initiated the Annual International Noise Awareness Day 21 years ago to urge people to fight against incommodious noise in their environment, be it home, work or play.

This year the day will be observed on Wednesday, April 26, and to commemorate it, JAD Hearing Services, a social enterprise which provides hearing assessments, hearing health education and hearing devices, in partnership with its parent organisation Jamaica Association for the Deaf (JAD) and Pan American Health Organisation (PAHO), will be hosting a symposium. The theme for the event is “Noise Implications — Issues and Solutions”, and will be held at the Altamont Court Hotel on Wednesday from 8:30 am to 1:00 pm.

The public is invited.

The pot covers and the vuvuzelas have become permanent celebratory noise implements in the Jamaican culture, and the vuvuzela, with a noise level of 120 dB is way above the tolerable and acceptable noise level of 85 dB.

Noise affects our health negatively in many ways and may cause not only hearing loss, but also stress, sleep disturbance, lack of concentration, mental and physical problems. According to the World Health Organization, noise, as pollution, is second only to air pollution in its adverse effects on health.

Thy symposium will provide information from presenters on health, legal, entertainment, environmental, and non-entertainment industries’ perspectives.

The audiences being targeted are people who work in various noise-prone industries, including: entertainment, manufacturing, transportation, construction; as well as the members of the general public concerned about the health implications of noise-related issues and solutions, including as it regards hearing impairment.

Deniese Badroe is the director of business development at the Jamaica Association for the Deaf.