April 28 is the 15th annual International Noise Awareness Day, an event promoting awareness of the dangers of long-term exposure to noise. Founded by the Center for Hearing and Communication (a not-for-profit organization established in New York in 1910), the event aims to raise awareness of the impacts of noise on day-to-day life worldwide.
As part of the event, the public is encouraged to observe a “Quiet Diet” — 60 uninterrupted seconds without noise from 2:15 to 2:16 p.m. this Wednesday.
Most New Yorkers are all too familiar with excessive noise and its impacts on hearing, health, stress, and learning. This year’s event has already garnered some local press, and we hope that greater awareness of noise leads to a “quiet diet” that the city can enjoy more than once a year.