You‘re a teenager at a party having a good time, when your friend, who has had too much to drink, passes out. What do you do?
Our sister society, the British Red Cross, is tackling this issue by recently launching a campaign called “Life. Live it.” The campaign’s goal is to teach 11-16 year olds how to handle emergencies related to binge drinking.
I know 11-16 sounds young, but the reality is that statistics in the UK show almost 7,500 youngsters under age 15 were brought to the hospital because of alcohol-related illness or injuries between 2006- 2009.
A British Red Cross study found that one in seven 11-16 year olds had been in an emergency situation because a friend had drank too much. When asked what action they took, 44 percent said they panicked and 46 percent said they didn’t know what to do.
Not only are these young people having to deal with emergencies related to alcohol, but they have also had to face other injuries, such as asthma attacks, choking or head injuries.
Are you a youth, and do you know first aid? Does your child know first aid?
Here in Ontario, the Canadian Red Cross offers various first aid programs for youth. For more info, check out our Programs for the Classroom Guide.