Legislation in the Michigan Senate would make CPR part of the health curriculum for state students. Sarah Poole, with the American Heart Association, testified before the Senate Education Committee Tuesday about the plan that would include chest compression CPR in health classes for students in grades 7 through 12. She says studies have shown that teaching CPR to large numbers of people helps to save lives.
“Currently around the country, we see about an 8% survival rate from cardiac arrest, but in areas where they train large numbers of the community, including students, we see those survival rates from cardiac arrest up near 26% or better,” Poole told WSJM.
Poole says almost any student could learn compression CPR. Poole says the education committee approved the plan, and it now goes on to the full state Senate, while the state House Education Committee is reviewing a companion bill. 31 states around the country already have CPR education included in schools.
