Zivil- und strafrechtliche Aspekte von Gehörschäden durch Silvesterfeuerwerkskörper

Every year several thousand people in Germany experience acute inner ear and middle ear damage due to exposure to New Year's Eve firecrackers.These affect all age groups and both sexes with a clear preponderance of children, teenagers and especially young adult males. In most cases these accidents are caused by an individual other than the patient.While sometimes hearing recovers completely, a large number of children, teenagers and adults will suffer from permanent inner ear damage or tinnitus.Because of the medical, psychological and economic importance of incurable sensorineural hearing loss, it is the task of public health services to promote effective prevention of irreversible damage to the hearing organ.This article reviews legal aspects of acoustic trauma due to New Year's firecrackers, specifically: licensing regulations, the use of firecrackers and its implications for civil and criminal law, and liability issues for import and distribution. The information about the legal status should contribute to effective prevention of irreversible damage to the hearing organ due to this type of leisure noise.