Ten Reasons to take CPR or First-Aid training

1. After someone stops breathing, or the heart stops beating, he or she can survive for only 4 to 6 minutes before lack of oxygen results in brain damage or death. CPR can buy extra time for your loved one, until professional help can arrive, by artificially circulating oxygen to the brain.

2. Over 70% of all cardiac and breathing emergencies occur in the home when a family member is present and available to help a victim.

3. Accidental injuries are the leading cause of death in children, and send over 16 million children a year to the emergency room.

4. Over 1.5 million heart attacks occur each year and approximately 350,000 of these victims die before ever reaching a hospital.

5. Statistics show that the earlier CPR is initiated, the greater the chance of survival. The American Heart Association estimates that 100,000 to 200,000 lives of adults and children could be saved each year if CPR was performed early enough.

6. Re-training and retention of CPR learning is a major requirement. Studies have shown that memory of CPR skills and knowledge tends to deteriorate as early as three months after training, among highly trained professionals, including: doctors, nurses, and others.

7. Approximately 7 million adults and children suffer from disabling injuries in their own homes and backyards each year, resulting from accidents that may require CPR, according to the American Heart Association. Some of the common causes of "sudden death" include: Electric Shock, Heart Attacks, Drowning, Severe Allergic Reactions, Choking, Drug Overdose, and Suffocation.

8. The country's #1 killers, a combination of heart attacks and accidents, claim a life every 34 seconds in the U.S.

9. One in 6 men and one in 8 women over the age of 45 have had a heart attack or stroke according to the American Heart Association.

10. Approximately 45% of all heart attacks occur in people under age 65.