Bloomberg Blasting Earbuds in NY: Mayor Targets Teens to Turn Down their Tunes to Prevent Hearing Loss

Mayor Bloomberg of NYC is on a new mission: to prevent young New Yorkers from going deaf by cranking down their earbuds. That's right teens, the mayor is launching a social media campaign, according to the New York Post, which will target the NY youth and advise them on the appropriate volume to blare beats in your ears.

While the mayor has already cracked down on smoking, junk food, trans fats, salt and super-sized drinks on his health kick, he is embarking on a new crusade: preventing New Yorkers from going deaf by cranking down music, reports Fox news.

Hizzoner's health officials are planning a social-media campaign to warn young people about the risk of losing their hearing from listening to music at high volume on personal MP3 players, The New York Post has learned.

"With public and private support, a public-education campaign is being developed to raise awareness about safe use of personal music players . . . and risks of loud and long listening," said Nancy Clark, the city Health Department's assistant commissioner of environmental-disease prevention.

The initiative is aimed at the "iPod generation," the people who were the first to put buds directly into their ears, states CBS News. The new players hold thousands of songs and have longer-life batteries, which results in more extended and high-volume listening, health experts said.  An iPod reaches 115 decibels at maximum volume, while doctors say sound has to be below 85 decibels to be deemed safe. One doctor even told CBS 2's Kramer the mayor's initiative is a good one.

"There is a real threat for noise exposure ruining hearing. This will occur gradually over time. But what you're looking at is a series of young people that may be experiencing hearing loss and the need for hearing aids at a much earlier age than any of their family members," said Dr. Jayde Steckowych of New York Presbyterian Hospital/Columbia Presbyterian Center.

Hearing loss skyrocketed 30 percent among teens between 1988 and 2006, according to data from the Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, and Bloomberg is taking prevention measures in hopes to alter the statistics.

The campaign, which will cost $250,000, is being financed through a grant received from the Fund for Public Health, the Health Department's fund-raising arm, says the Post.

Is this campaign a good idea, or should the mayor just "bud" out?