Just because they died doesn't mean someone: 1) Did the Heimlich manoeuvre 2) Performed it properly 3) Continued proper behaviour after the Heimlich manoeuvr

Just because they died doesn't mean someone: 1) Did the Heimlich manoeuvre 2) Performed it properly 3) Continued proper behaviour after the Heimlich manoeuvre failed There is a good chance the people who died were alone, that everyone around them panicked and froze up, or that nobody realized the person was in danger (people who choke are actually more likely to leave the room than try to tell someone). People often don't call 911 until it's too late. I do see the OP's point that potentially education and teaching of what to actually do in these scenarios would be more effective than buying a vast number of these devices. I took a first aid course and I can say that while the majority of people know what the Heimlich manoeuvre is, I don't believe they'd behave properly in a chocking situation. That said, I think these should definitely be put to trial runs to find out :)