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Teens more likely to get hearing loss than 20 years ago, doctors say
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Teenagers usually have their headphones on a lot these days, and its doing significant damage. - photo by Nkoyo Iyamba
If your teenager can't hear you as well as you once heard your parents, there is a reason for that. Teenagers usually have their headphones on a lot these days, and its doing significant damage.

I love listening to music all the time and kind of loud sometimes to drown everything, Chad Hurst, a teenager, said.

It's a way of life for the average teen.

Almost every day for a few hours like when I go to the gym, Jade Porter, a frequent headphone user said.

Doctors with the National Institute of Health say hearing loss among today's teens is 30 percent greater than it was in the 80s and 90s.

I believe it because I feel like my hearing isn't as good, Porter said.

Hearing loss occurs because the inner ear repeatedly gets pounded with sounds over 85 decibels.

You'd be surprised at how soft 85 decibels is, Michael Page, an audiologist at Primary Children's Hospital, said.

When you're at the doctors office and getting your hearing tested, 85 decibels is going to sound differently in the office than on your iPhone.

If you were to go to most rock concerts these days and measure the decibel level that's present, they're pushing easily over 100 decibels, and sometimes even up to 120 decibels, Page said.

But it's the daily pounding of sound for prolonged periods of time that Page said has a profound impact on the nerves in the ears.

And how they respond to sound is based on the amount of sound, the loudness of that sound, Page said.

Which is why he recommends using this acronym: LTD, which Page explains about below.

If we can decrease the time we're exposed to that sound, and if we can increase that distance, we actually increase the likelihood that we'll protect our hearing, Page said.

As for Hurst, he's going to start protecting his ears a little more.

Maybe turn it down a little less, Hurst commented.
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Georgia Motorcycle Safety Program announces grant
Funds earmarked for Share the Road initiatives
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Grant funding totaling $93,458 has been awarded to the Georgia Motorcycle Safety Program (GMSP) by the Governor’s Office of Highway Safety. The approved funding will be used to increase motorcycle safety awareness and outreach by encouraging all motorists and motorcyclists to Share the Road.

“The need for motorcycle safety programs is greater than ever, and this support from GOHS enables motorcycle safety programs and impaired riding initiatives to reach riders and non-riders alike” said Commissioner Spencer R. Moore. “Thank you GOHS for helping (the Department of Driver Services) and GMSP educate and encourage all Georgia drivers to ‘Share the Road.’”

The grant allows DDS to further develop the Motorcycle Safety Outreach Program by continuing to fund a position to promote state and national safety initiatives. The GMSP outreach coordinator researches, coordinates and helps maintain an adequate presence at industry events, local schools and colleges, regional meetings and festivals to increase awareness of motorcycles on the roadways and provide the most current information on motorcycle safety initiatives.

Visitors to a GMSP event display are also encouraged to sign up for regular newsletters which provide additional safety information, as well as review the motorcycle safety message on other social media platforms.

GMSP regulates motorcycle training for new riders, as well as seasoned riders, who want to learn how to ride a motorcycle legally and safely. The program is based on a continuum of learning and therefore offers three entry points to rider education.

Students participating in the Basic Riders Course do not need specialized motorcycle equipment, as the GMSP provides both a motorcycle and a helmet to class participants. Upon successful completion of the course, participants receive a 90-day license waiver card that exempts them from both the written and on-cycle skills tests needed to obtain a Class M license in the state of Georgia.

Please visit the DDS website at www.dds.georgia.gov for many online services including the convenience of enrolling in a GMSP training class and accessing many licensing services.

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