FIRST aid has been put on the critical list in a major drive to tackle confusion and ignorance.
The joint venture between St John Ambulance and Norwich Union follows research suggesting that 70 per cent of people in North West would not know what to do if a child swallowed the hosehold poison, white spirit.
Now the two groups are to offer 5,000 free places on courses to teach people how to save lives.
When quizzed on the right procedure to follow, half of those polled said they would wait for medical services rather than administer first aid themselves. More alarming was that 15 per cent said they would make the child vomit - a first aid blunder that could be lethal, according to leading toxicologists.
First aid courses can be booked by calling a special hotline on 0541 550990.
Courses run throughout October and November.
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