COLLIER COUNTY, Fla. — Life-saving devices are coming to Collier County schools and restaurants to try and save people when they’re choking.
It’s called LifeVac and hundreds of the choking rescue kits will be given away Tuesday to restaurants, schools and businesses such as Fleming’s Prime Steakhouse off Tamiami Trail..
It’s completely free of charge for those schools and businesses, courtesy of NCH Healthcare and the Collier Community Foundation.
Hundreds of these life-saving devices will be given away today. Those restaurants, schools, and businesses will pick up the device and get a brief demo on how to use it in the case of an emergency.
The National Safety Council reports choking as the fourth leading cause of unintentional injury or death in adults and one of the leading causes of unintentional death for infants. Of the 3,000 people who died from choking in 2020, almost half were older than 74-years-old.
Food is often responsible for choking incidents in the elderly. And living alone or having dentures or difficulty swallowing increases that risk.
