Nightclubs against turning down music to protect hearing

Nightclubs and bars are against turning down their music to protect visitors’ hearing. Preventing hearing damage is primarily visitors’ own responsibility, hospitality association KHN said to AD.

After experts raised concerns about a rise in young people with hearing damage, parliamentarians want to look at a legal maximum of 100 decibels in places of entertainment. A 2018 covenant states that music may not exceed 103 decibels for more than 15 minutes. But the covenant is non-binding, and clubs or bars that don’t comply don’t even get a warning.

“That non-commitment is a thorn in our side,” PvdA parliamentarian Mohammed Mohandis said to AD. His demand for a legally binding noise limit got support from Ja21, Volt, CDA, and PvdD, among others. They want nightclubs and bars to install a decibel meter so that visitors can see how loud the music really is.

But according to the KHN, a legal noise standard won’t solve the problem. “Turning down the music will first of all be at the expense of the experience. Then visitors will stay away and go to other places to experience loud music. This may actually encourage illegal raves, where there is absolutely no control,” a spokesperson said to AD.

According to the association, prevention is the only appropriate way to fight hearing damage. “The nightclubs are already working on that. Earplugs are already offered in many places, and there are areas in some discos where you can retreat to give your ears a rest.”

The KHN would like to see more money invested in prevention and information to draw more people’s attention to wearing earplugs to protect their hearing. “Because we recognize that hearing damage is a very serious problem.”