Gangseo-gu Launches On-site CPR and Drug Prevention Education for Elementary, Middle, and High Schools

Emergency Care Training at 48 Schools, Medication Safety Sessions at 34 Schools

Focus on Strengthening Crisis Response Skills Through Real-Life Case Studies

Gangseo-gu in Seoul is set to launch an on-site integrated safety education program to enhance crisis response skills among youth and help them develop healthy lifestyle habits. This initiative was created in response to the growing social concern over youth exposure to drug-related crimes and harmful substances, as well as the increasing importance of emergency medical care.

Scene of cardiopulmonary resuscitation training (Gagok Elementary School). Provided by Gangseo-gu.

The district highlighted the effectiveness of such education by referencing a 2015 incident, in which a fourth-grade elementary school student saved an unconscious man in his 50s at a local apartment complex using CPR skills learned through training.

According to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency's "2024 Acute Cardiac Arrest Survey Statistics," the survival rate for patients is 14.4% when CPR is administered by a bystander—approximately 2.4 times higher than when CPR is not performed.

The district will dispatch emergency care specialists to 48 elementary, middle, and high schools to provide both theoretical and practical training using practice mannequins and educational automated external defibrillators (AEDs). Drug misuse prevention education will also be carried out at 34 schools by expert instructors affiliated with the Gangseo-gu Pharmaceutical Association. These sessions will focus on real-life cases to address the dangers of drug misuse, correct medication use, the harms of narcotics and addictive substances, and the risks associated with excessive consumption of high-caffeine beverages.

In particular, the program will warn against illegal drugs disguised as “weight loss pills” or “study aids,” aiming to help youth develop the discernment needed to protect themselves from harmful environments.

Participating schools were selected through a pre-education demand survey, and schools wishing to receive additional training may apply at any time. For inquiries, contact the Pharmaceutical Department of Gangseo-gu Public Health Center at 02-2600-5855.

A district official stated, “CPR and drug prevention education are essential safety competencies that all adolescents should acquire,” adding, “We will continue to provide systematic support for education in close cooperation with schools.”

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.