New Bill Would Mandate CPR Training For High School Grads

New Bill Would Mandate CPR Training For High School Grads

by Rob Poindexter - January 18th 2011 09:13pm - Read more Local News

Augusta - The American Heart Association introduced a new bill in Augusta today that would require Maine students to complete CPR training in order to graduate high school.

Representative Anne Graham from North Yarmouth is endorsing the bill.

After the announcement lawmakers had the chance to check out a series of exhibits that outlined some of the leading causes of heart attacks.

Supporters of the proposed bill say, if it passes, it would mean more people would be ready to respond to sudden cardiac arrest victims and help save some lives. "I think it's important that we, when children are graduating high school that they move on to be healthy young adults," said Representative Graham. "And this is one little piece we can give them to use as they move on that they will use throughout their entire lives."

Representative Graham says she expects bipartisan support of the bill. Right now she says the bill still needs some sponsors but she's hopeful it will eventually pass.

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Comments

What a waste of our tax dollar again! How about doing something to get the students a better education...like the arts and music and home ec? Another stupid bill that will do nothing...just like the law about must have your headlights on when its raining or snowing...most people do not do this and the police do nothing about it! Stop wasting our tax dollar...youre supposed to be fixing the problems in Maine not adding to them!

Just me 01/19/2011 05:26 am

This Bill is not a waste of our tax dollars. This skill can be taught in about 25 minutes and could be done for about $10 or less, in some cases for nothing, per student. I think people need to understand the numbers before they talk down about the idea of this bill.
Did you know that EMS responds to about 300,000 cardiac arrest per year across the U.S. Currently only about 8% of those victims survive to make it home after such an event. And only 1/3 of those victims recieve CPR. If more people in the community were to recieve training on how to treat and manage a cardiac arrest, we could greatly improve those odds.

So I ask you this...If it was your wife, husband, grandparent, parent, brother, sister, or child, that suffered a cardiac arrest, would you want someone around that knew how to save them?

You may ask... "Isn't that what EMS is for?"

Arrival times for EMS vary greatly across the state of Maine. In the city most arrival times are around 4-5 minutes, but in rural parts of the state, it can be around 20-30 minutes before EMS arrives to help. Now with that in mind, here is one more fact. A victims chance of survival decreases about 7-10% for every minute after the arrest that the victims remains in Ventricular Fibrillation. Starting CPR right away after arrest can double or triple the chance of survival.

Do the Math...

Maine Paramedic 01/19/2011 09:29 pm

I completely agree with the Maine Paramedic. The facts, statistics, survivors and loved ones of those who lost thier lives to sudden cardiac arrest reinforce the research, which states that CPR saves lives. I wish we had more champions like you in our communities across the country. We are seeing survival rates increase as a result of communities taking the initiative to implement sustainable "Heart Safe" programs, which encourage people to learn CPR. If someone provides prompt CPR (Hands Only or conventional) the chance of survival and positive outcomes of a sudden cardiac arrest victim drastically improves.

Training students in CPR will enable them to take this life-saving skill into their adulthood. It is an effective strategy to train more people. With more people trained, the better chance that you or a loved one would have of being saved if the unthinkable were to happen.

For training, please call 1-877-AHA-4CPR

CPR Advocate 01/20/2011 11:39 am