In the USA, shooting enthusiasts have been tackling with legislators for years to lift restriction concerning access to firearms suppressors. It may seem strange but in this country of "freedom and democracy" it is more difficult to legally buy guns with suppressors than in Poland, because here they are not restricted in any way.
Recently, there has been another, hopefully significant development in this topic. One of the most respected medical groups in the USA, when it comes to preventing hearing loss, has backed efforts to partially deregulate firearm suppressors.
In a letter sent in late May to the Academy of Doctors of Audiology, vouching for "evidence-based practices in the delivery of audiovestibular care", supported the Hearing Protection Act to improve access to suppressors. Given that at least 7.5 million Americans hunt with firearms each year, and another 19 million regularly engage in target shooting, the organization has determined that "Firearm users are at high risk of developing NIHL (noise-induced hearing loss)".
While recognizing the use of traditional hearing protection, such as earplugs and earmuffs, as "essential for preventing NIHL in firearm users", the group stressed that such protection "alone does not always offer adequate protection from noise exposure. Firearm noise suppressors can be an effective supplement to traditional hearing protection."
What is important for the deregulation debate, the Academy of Doctors of Audiology, founded in 1976, does not deal with firearms. With 1,400 members, the ADA is one of the oldest and most respected groups for audiology professionals in the US. As noted by the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders, "ADA strives to be the leader in professional development, high ethical standards, career enhancement, practice improvement, and student outreach".
The Hearing Protection Act, sponsored by US Representative Jeff Duncan in the House and US Senator Mike Crapo in the Senate, is to remove more than 2.6 million federally registered suppressors from NFA regulations, instead regulating them as Article I firearms that can be purchased without a special license and without a complicated buyer verification process. The bill has been popular among Republicans since 2016, but has so far failed to get through any of the houses of the legislature.
The ADA's recognition that suppressors are important to hearing health is a major step towards reducing the government bureaucracy associated with these devices.
Source: Guns.com
