Most Brits lack skills to save someone from choking, poll reveals

Health & Fitness
18 Aug 2026 • 9:57 AM MYT
The Independent
The Independent

The world’s most free-thinking newspaper

Most Brits lack skills to save someone from choking, poll reveals

  • Around 300 people die from choking in England each year because members of the public lack the knowledge or confidence to intervene, according to St John Ambulance.
  • A poll revealed that only 42 per cent of UK adults know how to perform back blows and abdominal thrusts to assist a choking victim.
  • The survey found 19 per cent of respondents had never heard of abdominal thrusts, whilst 32 per cent did not know choking can become life-threatening within minutes.
  • St John Ambulance has launched its Save a Life September campaign, aiming to teach first-aid skills to half a million people through free demonstrations and online guidance.

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