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The Mosquito or Mosquito alarm is an electronic device used to deter loitering by young people by emitting sound at high frequency, in some versions so it can only be heard by younger people. The devices have attracted controversy on the basis of human rights and discrimination concerns. The device is marketed as a safety and security tool for preventing youths from congregating in specific areas. As such, it is promoted to reduce anti-social behaviour such as loitering, graffiti, vandalism, drug use, drug distribution, and violence. In the UK, over 3,000 have been sold, mainly for use outside shops and near transport hubs.〔(Now crime gadget can annoy us all ), BBC News〕 The device is also sold in Australia, France, Denmark, Italy, Spain, Germany, Switzerland, Canada and the USA.〔The Epoch Times. 6 August 2008. Joan Delaney, (''‘Mosquito’ Prompts Teens to Buzz Off ''. ). Retrieved 6 March 2009.〕 Critics say that it discriminates against young people and infringes their human rights, while supporters argue that making the Mosquito illegal would infringe the rights of shopkeepers who suffer business losses when "unruly teenagers" drive away their customers. Mosquito distributors have said that they keep standards to ensure that the device is not abused, and Howard Stapleton who invented the device has asked European governments to legislate guidelines governing its use.〔 The newest version of the device, launched late in 2008, has two frequency settings, one of approximately 17.4 kHz〔(【引用サイトリンク】title=MP3 sample of the 17.4 kHz tone )〕 that can generally be heard only by young people, and another at 8 kHz that can be heard by most people. The maximum potential output sound pressure level is stated by the manufacturer to be 108 decibels (dB). The sound can typically only be heard by people below 25 years of age, as the ability to hear high frequencies deteriorates in humans with age (a phenomenon known as presbycusis). ==History== The Mosquito was invented by Howard Stapleton in 2005, and was originally tested in Barry, South Wales, where it was successful in reducing teenagers loitering near a grocery store. The idea was born after he was irritated by a factory noise when he was a child. The push to create the product was when Mr. Stapleton's 17-year-old daughter went to the store to buy milk and was harassed by a group of 12 to 15-year-olds. Using his children as test subjects, he determined the frequency of "The Mosquito."〔Discovery's Science Channel "Weird Connections" Episode 8〕 The Mosquito was released to the mainstream market in 2005, through Stapleton's company Compound Security Solutions. The current device has two settings: the high frequency sound targeted at youth, and another that can be heard by everyone. The range of the sound is with the sound baffle, and without. It requires a 24-volt DC or 15-volt AC power supply. A device installed in a Spar shop in Caerleon Road in Newport, South Wales was banned after three months by the Newport Community Safety Partnership, a partnership set up to meet the requirements of the Crime and Disorder Act 1998, with members including Newport City Council, Gwent Police, Newport Local Health Board, South Wales Fire Service, representatives of Customs and Excise, and the Welsh Assembly Government. Despite the ban, another Spar shop in Newport installed the device. A Newport Community Safety Partnership spokesman said: "Any view expressed by the Partnership does not stop any business or private company from purchasing these devices. They must ensure these systems comply with the law."〔(`Mosquito' returns to zap the rowdies ), from southwalesargus.co.uk〕 In February 2008, in response to a national campaign launched by the Children’s Commissioner for England,〔(BUZZ OFF Campaign )〕 Liberty, and the National Youth Agency, the government issued a statement insisting that "'Mosquito alarms are not banned and the government has no plans to ban them".〔 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「The Mosquito」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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