Valerie Weedon
(United Kingdom)

Noise Network

Originally presented in the "Urban Noise" Workshop
Brussels, Monday March 24, 1997
Presented in the First International Multidisciplinary Conference on Acoustic Violence
Rosario, Argentina, October 2-3, 1997

Eight years ago I encountered a domestic noise problem that changed the course of my life, indeed it has changed my life forever. It took me on a journey involving acoustics, audiology, psychology, physiology and law. Those who complain about noise often face hostility, prejudice and ridicule. We have been labelled kill joys, party poopers, cranks, trouble-makers or are accused of being over-sensitive. Thus implying that we are abnormal in some way. Although our reaction, in physiological/psychological terms, is absolutely normal. Interestingly too, there is no clinical definition for an "over-sensitive" person, which begs the question then, is it likely that some people may be "under-sensitive"?

The problem I suffered for well over a year has now left me with a fear of noise. The source of my noise problem was modern music. With its prominent bass beat, amplified by a powerful hi fi system. Being exposed to this torture day after day changed my character. I became more aggressive, sometimes depressed and suffered bouts of shingles, a stress related illness. The only way to escape the torture was to move house.

Today, that experience remains with me. I have become much more aware of noise and still have a loathing not only of the sound that I had to endure, but I have also developed a hatred for other noise too. Even the dawn chorus of birds in the spring irritates. My whole life is dominated by noise. I have to take into account noise when planning holidays or trips away. Will I have a quiet room, does it have an air conditioning unit that will drone into the night keeping me awake, will I be bothered by traffic?

Being in a noisy environment for too long wears me down. I seek peace and quiet whenever I can.

After moving away from my noise problem I decided to set up a campaign and make contact with others that had been through a similar experience. The Right to Peace and Quiet Campaign was launched in May 1991, disbanded in April 1996 and has now been replaced by the Noise Network. Over the last six years I have worked constantly, making contact with thousands of other victims not only in the UK but Europe, Canada, United States and South Africa. I have been amazed at the diversity of noise problems that exist.

Pressure from the campaign led to three new pieces of UK legislation The Noise and Statutory Nuisance Act 1993 (which deals with noise on the street, including audio alarms), The Noise Act 1996, (which deals with noise at night) and The Housing Act 1996 (which deals with anti-social behaviour).

Noise, I have discovered, is an unpopular issue to be campaigning about. It has always been given a low priority as an environmental issue and there has been very little information made available for the general public. There appears to have been a conspiracy of silence over noise and I don't know why. There has been enough indicators over the last twenty or thirty years to alert us to the dangers of noise, the likely health risks and loss in quality of life, but very little change has taken place to remedy the situation.

We all know that loud sounds can cause hearing problems. Health & Safety regulations exist to protect those people working in a noisy environment, but very little has been done to protect citizens outside the workplace. We must make young people aware of the dangers of loud amplification, protect them with controls if necessary and not leave them to the mercy of irresponsible sound system operators. Following my own noise problem I was interested to know why I had reacted so violently. It wasn't as though I hated music. Indeed I used to work with pop bands in the 1960s like The Small Faces, Amen Corner and The Move. In the early 1980s I was a DJ on a local community radio station and have a vast record collection . So what was it that caused me to become so angry and depressed? I very quickly made the connection between the affects of my domestic noise problem and the wider implications of noise in everyones lives.

It is not only loud sounds that are harmful. Glass & Singer (1971) state that "It is the unpredictable and uncontrollable aspects of noise can be especially upsetting and potentially physiologically damaging".

I would like to mention a number of reference sources that give support to the conclusions that I have come to.

THE GENERAL ADAPTATION SYNDROME

Hans Seyle (1978) provided a robust and durable hypothesis explaining the three stages by which organisms (including mankind) must adapt to stressful events, or will sicken and may die.

INTERNAL/EXTERNAL/HEALTH LOCUS OF CONTROL

Rotter (1966) explained the importance of the locus of control over life and the health damaging consequences arising from the loss of CONTROL.

LEARNED HELPLESSNESS:

Research by Seligman and Soloman explained how health damage may arise from "learned helplessness" and/or disempowerment.

STIMULUS OVERLOAD

Uncontrollable noise places victim's body in permanent FRIGHT FLIGHT OR FIGHT MODE. This state of high arousal leads to the over or under production of brain/body chemicals, including neurotransmitters, hormones or other substances, which are the very driving force of life itself. Night-time disturbance leads to serious disruption of the body's biological circadian rhythms and loss of the restorative benefit of sleep.

We react to noise as we do for stress. Professor Arline Bronzaft (a leading psychologist from New York) states that exposure to unwanted sound can bring about heightened stress and arousal. The body reacts to stress by changes in heart rate rhythm, increases in blood pressure, dilation of pupils, contractions of muscles, raises in blood cholesterol and secretions of hormones.

The known health problems arising from noise include cardiovascular, respiratory and gastrointestinal disease, immune/auto immune related diseases, opportunistic infections, anxiety/and/or depression.

Research by psychologist Bruce McEwan (Yale University) has confirmed that anxiety/stress speeds the metastasis (spreading of cancer cells) of cancer. Perhaps the most potent and sinister warning indicator of toxic stress noted to date from research by NN is PREMATURE AGEING OF THE HUMAN BRAIN.

The problem of noise has not only led to depression and suicide, but strong feelings of panic, revulsion or extreme rage. This in turn has led to violent confrontation, criminal damage, assault or homicide with high costs to the UK state.

The links between noise and aggressive behaviour are strong therefore how much of the ROAD RAGE and other aggressive activities in our societies are a result of the amount of noise we now have to endure?

Does noise breed violence and peace and quiet breed care and consideration?

We should not underestimate the power of noise and the reaction that our bodies are having to it. Our bodies are quite simply being polluted by noise.

I believe that past assumptions made about noise have been wrong. The previous notion that we become habituated to noise has now been disputed.

Economic interest has always dominated noise control, but we now have to weigh this against other likely costs, in terms of the loss of earnings, the burden to health services, the criminal justice system, as well as the human misery and loss in quality of life that noise causes.

It is important that we start making changes now to control noise in a way that will protect everyone as much as we can. I would also like to see compensation and practical help for those who's lives have already been blighted by noise. Counselling may help, but it's not a cure. We must create a climate that makes noise unacceptable and provide a choice for those who desire a quieter lifestyle.

We can no longer ignore the fact that noise is harmful and we must EDUCATE, INSULATE AND REGULATE noise out of our lives.

EDUCATE

Citizens should be made aware of the health risks. Young people in particular should be made aware of hearing damage when exposed to amplified sounds. Everyone should be encouraged to modify noisy behaviour. There should be adequate training for sound system operators to ensure that a responsible attitude is adopted. Musicians should be made aware of the levels they inflict on people at concerts and protect themselves as well as their audiences. Citizens should demand quieter products.

INSULATE

All dwellings should have adequate sound insulation that will prevent intrusion into someone else's space. Citizens should have a choice.

REGULATE

A comprehensive noise policy should include controls over planning, air traffic, road surfaces to improve traffic noise, the production of noise producing equipment, noisy behaviour and protect all citizens from the impact of unwanted intrusive sounds.

Valerie Weedon MBE
Noise Network UK
March, 1997

E-mail: fmiyara@fceia.unr.edu.ar
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