Community noise: health effects and management

This commentary will reemphasize the importance of urban noise as a health problem and provide a practical approach toward implementing legislative controls. References and a short discussion of accepted ways to measure noise are included. Furthermore, a brief review of relationships between noise and the development of disease is discussed. Finally, a six-part noise control ordinance framework designed to help public health and community leaders start the process of urban and community noise reduction is detailed. The implementation of such enforceable and reasonable noise control ordinances will be good public health policy and will greatly impact the quality, and possibly quantity, of life of both the individual and the community.