Noise Exposure Study Suggests Gun Owners Would Benefit From Using Suppressors

By BearingArms.com Staff

Gun owners should always make sure to use proper hearing protection when operating firearms. Unfortunately, evidence from a recent study published in The Laryngoscope, a medical journal that specializes in head and neck disorders including otolaryngology, revealed that many shooters do not employ adequate hearing protection while exercising their Second Amendment rights. While some of the study’s findings are discouraging, the prevalence of excess noise exposure during the recreational use of firearms underscores the importance of pending legislation that would increase access to firearm suppressors.

Titled, “Epidemiology of firearm and other noise exposures in the United States,” the study sought to determine the prevalence of harmful noise exposure in the workplace and in recreational activities, and the frequency with which individuals use hearing protection in these settings. In regards to firearms, the study found that 58.5 percent of adults that had used a firearm in the previous 12 months “always used hearing protection.” Further, the study reported that 21.4 percent “never used hearing protection.” The study’s authors point out that noise exposures from shooting and similar activities without hearing protection have “potentially serious long-term hearing health consequences.”

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Source:: Bearing Arms