Did You Know...

**Written by Doug Powers

New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg is like a Roomba that has set itself for “nanny state” and is automatically going from place to place removing any and every potential hazard to your health — whether you want it to or not. Bloomberg’s latest area of concern is ear buds:

Mayor Bloomberg — who has already cracked down on smoking, junk food, trans fats, salt and super-sized drinks — is embarking on a new crusade: preventing New Yorkers from going deaf.

Hizzoner’s health officials are planning a social-media campaign to warn young people about the risk of losing their hearing from listening to music at high volume on personal MP3 players, The Post has learned.

“With public and private support, a public-education campaign is being developed to raise awareness about safe use of personal music players . . . and risks of loud and long listening,” said Nancy Clark, the city Health Department’s assistant commissioner of environmental-disease prevention.

The campaign, which will cost $250,000, is being financed through a grant received from the Fund for Public Health, the Health Department’s fund-raising arm.

The Hearing Loss Prevention Media Campaign will target teens and young adults, conducting focus-group interviews and using social-media sites like Facebook and Twitter.

Jim Treacher: “You know a government is bloated beyond recognition when not only is there a ‘commissioner of environmental-disease prevention,’ but he thinks he needs an assistant.”

A city-wide ban on ear buds coming soon? Bloomberg will probably start with a call for volume control, but it’s probably too much to hope for that he’ll decide to dial himself down:

**Written by Doug Powers

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