Should CPR Training Be Mandatory in Schools?

Although most states in the U.S. have made CPR training a high school graduation requirement, it is not required of all high schools.

According to the American Heart Association, “nearly 326,000 out-of hospital sudden cardiac arrests occur annually, and 88 percent of cardiac arrests occur at home.” So why not make it mandatory for high schools students to learn CPR? Increasing the number of people trained in CPR increases the number of people who are likely to perform CPR if necessary. If 88 percent of cardiac arrests occur at home, where there may not be trained healthcare professionals present, we need high school students to be trained in CPR. If CPR training is mandatory at school, our communities can increase the number of those who could potentially save the lives of others.

Nancy Brown, CEO of the American Heart Association, stated, “We are steadfast in our commitment to creating a culture in which CPR training is just as fundamental to our education system as geometry and history.” It should be. If something ever happened to someone you loved, you should know what to do. Everyone is someone’s family, and bystander CPR can double or triple a cardiac arrest patient’s chances of survival.

By increasing the number of people who know how to perform CPR, we are working towards lowering the percent of people who do not survive sudden cardiac arrest outside of hospitals each year.