Bystander CPR Would Become New Standard In High School Curriculum

DETROIT (WWJ) - Bystander CPR is credited with saving the life of West Michigan high school student Noah Weeda last May.

"I learned CPR for a merit badge for Boy Scouts in sixth grade, and I never thought I'd have to use it," said Tyler Menhart, who saved his best friend's life when he had a cardiac arrest during soccer practice.

Menhart and Weeda were recently featured in a pair of videos produced by the American Heart Association and further efforts by Rep. Hooker and Sen. Schuitmaker to make CPR a graduation requirement  -- are within House Bill 5160 and SB 647 could make that a reality.

"Contrary to belief, you don't need to be a professional to perform CPR, and even young people are capable of learning and performing CPR correctly," said Brad Uren, an emergency room physician. "Fire, police and ambulance agencies and healthcare professionals like myself are enthusiastic about working with schools to educate our students in the life-saving skill of CPR."

According to Uren the bills essentially linked; "Both bills make it a priority that every graduating high school student have at least 30 minutes training per year in CPR."

If every high school student in Michigan learned CPR before graduation, Michigan would gain 100,000 more qualified lifesavers each year. Twenty-eight states have already passed similar laws to ensure that every high school student is CPR-trained before graduation. Cardiac arrest survival rates have increased in the states and communities in which students are taught CPR.

"Michigan's rate of survival for cardiac arrest outside of a hospital is 8 percent," said Uren, "we can do better than that."

Find out more [here].  Learn more at heart.org/CPRmi.