St Lucians recently celebrated Julien Alfred’s Olympic victories with street parties and loud music, but excessive noise levels from loud music in some areas have previously raised concerns.
While the music adds to the festive atmosphere, it also caused anticipated distress, particularly for families with elderly people and young children. A Babonneau mother who prefers to remain anonymous, lamented that two cars with speakers atop them have already patrolled through the area with music blaring, following announcement of Julien Alfred’s Olympic win.
The young mother added that she “hopes this would not continue into the weekend”, when her “grandmother and young daughter should be relaxing”. Her grandmother, she stated, struggles with High Blood Pressure and “shock of the music could only make it worse”.
Experts have warned that such high-decibel noise can lead to health issues. Mary Francis, St Lucian attorney at law, emphasized last year that noise pollution affects overall wellness and overall well-being. She cited that constant exposure to loud music can lead to hypertension and other chronic diseases.
This situation has renewed focus on noise pollution, a growing problem in St. Lucia. Calls for the need for legislation to regulate excessive noise have not just been highlighted by Mary Francis in 2023, but by Minister for Youth Development and Sports, Kenson Casimir.
As the government plans to introduce new regulations in this regard, the challenge remains to balance cultural and historic celebrations, with public health and well-being.
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