Committee on Social, Health and Family Affairs, Recommendation 1930 (2010) - Prohibiting the marketing and use of the “Mosquito” youth dispersal device – (Rapporteur: Piotr Watch, Doc. 12186, Committee Opinion in May 2010, Reply from the Committee of Ministers adopted at the 1109th meeting of the Ministers’ Deputies (16 March 2011)) |
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Following an initiative by the European Youth Forum, the Assembly decided to examine thoroughly the use in some European countries of technical devices emitting high-frequency sounds to disperse young people or keep them away from certain spaces. The ability to hear high-frequency sounds is lost naturally with age; thus, sounds emitted by “Mosquito” devices can only be heard by young people, provoking severe discomfort. The physical impact of high-frequency sounds on children and young people still lacks adequate medical research: this is of concern and the precautionary principle should therefore apply. However, the main issues raised by this kind of device are their degrading and discriminatory consequences for young people, who are driven from given places as “unwanted”. This is neither politically acceptable nor consistent with the safeguard of fundamental human rights which the use of “Mosquito” devices clearly infringes. For these reasons, legislative measures should be taken throughout Europe against the marketing of such devices and their use in public places should be banned.
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