00:00Like many in Victor Harbour, the beach is part of Jackson Baker's way of life.
00:07But the teenager has been forced to curb his love of the great outdoors
00:12since signs of the algal bloom began washing up near his home.
00:16I just can't be happy when I'm outside anymore.
00:19The 17-year-old lives with a genetic condition and an intellectual disability.
00:24He used to visit the beach every day as part of his routine to regulate his mental health.
00:30After developing a persistent cough, his mum Kirsty took steps to limit his exposure.
00:37He's been through quite a lot and so the cough really does end up hurting him physically with his back and his chest.
00:45It's a problem Ajit Das is seeing in his pharmacy in the beachside suburb of Brighton.
00:51One of the customers just came in last week and she's really traumatised.
00:57So she was walking her dog by the beach in Brighton Beach and she found it's having breathing difficulties.
01:03He says people have been reaching for products like inhalers and eye drops to quickly relieve symptoms.
01:10Health experts say the algae doesn't produce a toxin that's harmful to humans and there's no long-term health effects.
01:17But exposure can cause short-term problems including skin and eye irritation, coughing or shortness of breath.
01:25So it's got a reactive oxygen species in it that's a little bit like hydrogen peroxide you know like surface used to put in their hair and too much of that is an irritant.
01:36While the physical effects of the bloom can disappear within hours, the mental health effects may not be so short-lived.
01:44A university survey of hundreds of locals shows for many a trip to the beach is now bringing up feelings of grief.
01:52When they go to the beach or they see footage of you know dead animals washing up on the beach that is also creating more worry and anxiety.
02:02Once a source of relaxation, now a constant source of stress, leaving many wondering when life will return to normal.
02:10A place that is normal.
02:12A place there is no love.
02:14A place there is no need to be shown in any direction that is normally normal.
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