This weekend, I attended the Association of Bridal Consultants Florida State Conference, where one of the seminars was a CPR certification class.  Almost 3,000 people die in the U.S. each year due to choking.  The good news is, the Heimlich Manuever, the traditional treatment for choking, is extremely effective in saving thousands of lives each year.

However, there is one catch:  You have to ask for help!

We were told that more women suffer from choking (probably because we talk so much while eating so fast!) but more men die from choking.  The reason?  Men won’t ask for help.  They go somewhere, usually the restroom, and think that they can use their finger to dislodge the food they are choking on.   90% of men who die of choking do so on a bathroom floor, alone.

Please pass this message along to all the men in your life!  If you are interested in CPR/Rescue Breathing/Choking Rescue classes in North Florida, check out the local American Red Cross website.