French authorities have announced limits on sound levels in headphones and at live music events in a bid to limit the damage done to young people’s hearing.

The decision comes after a report was published that revealed the number of hearing problems among young people in France has dramatically increased. The Ipsos report claimed that three quarters of 15-30 year-olds in France have experiences hearing problems such as tinnitus, (humming or ringing in the ears) or a loss of hearing after being exposed to a long period of loud noise.

Now health minister Marisol Touraine has said she will legislate on sound levels at concerts and in headphones.

 “We are thinking of acting in two different ways: firstly to make sure headphones cannot produce sound above a certain level of decibels,” Touraine told BFM TV.

“That means headphones that are sold in shops. It's so that we can prevent someone who wears them all day from being exposed to sound levels that are too high,” she said.

“The second thing is to have regulations for the noise that is emitted in certain indoor concert venues,” she said.

Ms Touraine said she will consider applying her restrictions in her forthcoming health bill, scheduled to go before the French parliament during the spring.

“This is not about banning listening to music. It’s fantastic to listen to music but we want to able to do it all our lives if we can,” she added.

Ms Touraine also believes that educating young people about the risks of listening to loud music is just as important as legislating for sound levels.