And less than half of people in the South East, 41%, say they know how to stop someone choking by giving back blows. 40% say they know how to give a choking person an abdominal thrust, formerly called the Heimlich Manoeuvre, while 32% say they have choked to the point of panic because they felt they could not breathe.
The health charity shared the findings as it launches its popular annual Save a Life September campaign, which this year aims to teach half a million people life-saving skills through free demonstrations and online guidance.
During September, St John volunteers across the country will show people how to respond to choking, which hundreds die from in the UK each year. They will also teach the response to cardiac arrest and severe bleeding, including how to do CPR and use a defibrillator.
People can find the location of a free volunteer-delivered Save a Life September demonstration near them by visiting sja.org.uk/save-a-life-september/
The research also showed the following findings for the South East:
18% wrongly believe you should help a choking person by using fingers to pull the blockage out, and 10% wrongly said you should tell them to drink water
16% have never heard of an abdominal thrust or Heimlich Manoeuvre, as it was formerly known
26% have never been taught first aid
24% would panic if they came across a serious health emergency
50% agreed communities would be safer if more people learned first aid
29% have been with someone who choked to the point of panic because they felt they could not breathe
Community education partner at St John Ambulance, Jordan Davison, said:
Choking is often dismissed as a minor incident, but the consequences can be devastating.
“Tragically too many people die because those around them do not have the knowledge or confidence to intervene.
“This September, we’re urging people to take a few minutes to learn these essential first aid skills.
“Through St John Ambulance’s videos and public demonstrations, people can learn simple, life-saving skills that could help them save a loved one, friend, colleague or even a stranger.
“Our volunteers will be out in communities across the country, putting the power of first aid into more people’s hands.
Since re-launching its Save a Life September campaign in 2024, St John Ambulance has taught more than 800,000 people vital first aid. For information about first aid and the public awareness sessions, people are urged to visit sja.org.uk/save-a-life-september/
