Lawmakers propose CPR training as graduation requirement

A new campaign to make CPR training a high school graduation requirement launched in Michigan this week.

The America Heart Association, Sen. Tonya Schuitmaker and Rep. Thomas Hooker are behind the campaign.

Hooker and Schuitmaker are sponsoring HB 5160 and SB 647, which would make high school CPR training a requirement.

“I’m proud to take part in this campaign to bring more lifesavers into our communities,” Schuitmaker said.

Nearly 357,000 people have cardiac arrest outside of a hospital every year, and only 8 percent survive, according to the American Heart Association.

CPR can nearly triple survival rates for cardiac arrest by providing assistance until EMTs arrive. If a victim doesn’t get help within the first three to five minutes, brain damage may begin to occur, making “bystander CPR critical.”

Twenty-seven states across the country have already passed similar laws to ensure that every high school student is CPR trained before graduation, and it’s saving lives.

Cardiac arrest survival rates have multiplied in the states and communities where students have received CPR training.

“As a pediatric cardiologist, I’ve seen first-hand how CPR can make a huge difference — and all you need is your hands,” said Monica Goble, who's the chairperson of American Heart Association’s state advocacy committee.