In light of recent events involving a United Airlines flight, many people have debated whether they should learn CPR. Despite the availability of professional emergency services, knowing CPR can often minimize the time it takes for those professionals to arrive on the scene. Those who support learning

CPR usually offers justifications based on its potential usefulness. First, knowledge of CPR can help you save a life. According to the American Heart Association (AHA), the single most common reason for a person to suffer cardiac arrest outside of a hospital is respiratory arrest—that is, breathing stops.

About one-third of all people who have cardiac arrests die because no one present at the time knew CPR. Approximately 90% of these victims might have been saved yearly if someone nearby had known and performed CPR correctly.

Reasons for Learning CPR

1. You Will Save a Life

According to the American Heart Association, “in the average community, CPR lessons can give you and others about a 50% chance of saving one life in the next ten years.” This means that if you learn CPR and practice it regularly, you could save a life within ten years from now. While this isn’t a long time, it is, on average, just six minutes. This should be enough of a reason to learn CPR.

2. You Will Help Your Loved Ones and Friends

Since most people learn CPR to help others, they usually think of other people in this situation. One of the benefits of knowing CPR is that you can help your loved ones and friends as well. Therefore, you don’t have to be a stranger to save someone’s life. You can also help those close to you by learning CPR and trying to implement it when necessary.

3. You or Someone You Care About Could Die

While there are risks associated with learning CPR, having knowledge of this potentially lifesaving skill could save your life in the long run. The number of people who die from cardiac arrest yearly is much greater than those who die from making mistakes when learning CPR. If you know CPR and administer it correctly, you may not have to immediately perform CPR on someone who suffers a cardiac arrest in the future. If you do, it will be because someone else gave lifesaving CPR and saved your life instead!

4. You Might Learn CPR From a Good Source

Knowing CPR can also benefit you in many ways. For instance, many people learn CPR from their parents or grandparents, and these people usually have been taught CPR by someone else! This means that if you ask for information about this lifesaving skill from your family or friends, they can provide information on how to do it correctly. This is especially true if the person giving you the information is already trained in this skill.

5. You Would Be Helpless if Your Kids Got into Trouble

Most parents have had this experience. Your child or children are in danger somewhere, and you have no idea how to rescue them. Fortunately, many parents have learned CPR and know what to do. If they can do it, so can you!

With the number of people who have died in the last few years from cardiac arrest and the number of people who have died because no one knew CPR, it is evident that more and more people are learning it. Knowing CPR can help you save a person’s life if they experience cardiac arrest. If you know CPR and take it seriously when necessary, you could save someone’s life before ten years pass. In the end, this may be reason enough to learn CPR!