LifeVac Europe urges mandatory anti-choking devices in first aid kits

By AI, Created 12:41 PM UTC, May 29, 2026, /AGP/ – LifeVac Europe is marking 10 years since the first recorded UK save by pushing for anti-choking devices to be added to mandatory first aid kits. The Devon-based manufacturer says LifeVac has helped save more than 6,000 lives worldwide and argues the devices can be critical before emergency help arrives.

Why it matters: - LifeVac Europe says choking emergencies can turn fatal in minutes, before ambulances can arrive. - The company is pressing for anti-choking devices to be treated as a mandatory first aid item in homes, workplaces and care settings. - The push comes as LifeVac says the device has been used in more than 6,000 reported saves worldwide.

What happened: - LifeVac Europe marked 10 years since the first recorded UK save and renewed its call for LifeVac devices to be required in first aid kits. - The Devon-based manufacturer sells LifeVac across the UK, Europe, the Middle East and Africa. - Founder Arthur Lih created LifeVac in the United States after witnessing a child choke on a grape. - LifeVac is a non-invasive airway clearance device designed to help remove an obstruction when standard Basic Life Support has failed or cannot be performed.

The details: - LifeVac says the device is regulated as a Class I medical device by the FDA, MHRA, TGA, HPFB, MOH and SAHPRA. - The device is UKCA and CE marked. - LifeVac Europe says the device is manufactured in Devon and used across 32 countries. - The company says the device is trusted by thousands of organisations globally, including NHS settings. - LifeVac says its products are supported by 15 peer-reviewed medical publications. - Eric Banagan, founder and managing director of LifeVac Europe, said the reported saves show people are alive because the device was used after standard BLS failed. - Banagan said ambulance target response times in the UK are eight minutes, while potential brain damage can occur after four minutes. - Lizzie Arora Harmon said a LifeVac device helped clear an apple lodged in her windpipe while she was eating breakfast with her son. - Harmon said paramedics later told her she would have died if she had been home alone. - Lewis Steeper, co-founder of The Oliver Steeper Foundation, said his charity is raising awareness and fundraising to provide LifeVac devices to childcare settings across the UK. - Steeper said more than 6,000 reported saves is incredible and said choking incidents can happen in homes, schools, nurseries, restaurants and workplaces.

Between the lines: - LifeVac Europe is framing the device as a gap-filler when conventional first aid cannot resolve a choking emergency. - The company’s argument leans on speed: if professional help can take minutes, a device that can be used immediately may change outcomes. - The Oliver Steeper Foundation’s support adds a child-safety angle to the campaign, especially for nurseries and early-years settings. - The 2024 UK government safety alert on counterfeit and unbranded anti-choking devices underscores the market risk around lookalike products. - The alert warned fake or unbranded devices may fail to work correctly or could worsen choking incidents. - More information is available from LifeVac Europe. - The charity’s website has more details on The Oliver Steeper Foundation.

What’s next: - LifeVac Europe says it wants anti-choking devices to become a mandatory part of first aid rather than an optional add-on. - The Oliver Steeper Foundation says it will continue fundraising to place genuine LifeVac devices in childcare settings. - LifeVac Europe is also offering interviews, images and kits through Natalie Trice Publicity.

The bottom line: - LifeVac Europe is trying to turn anti-choking devices from a niche emergency tool into a standard first aid requirement.