This year’s National Kissing Day (August 2nd 2011) has revealed much about the nation’s kissing habits. Young lovers in the 18 to 24 age group are making out an average 11 times each week, while 5% of people aged over 45 are managing more than a staggering 31 ‘snogs’ each week! However, 1 in 5 married people (18%) admit they go for an entire week without kissing their partner and over a third of married people (40%) claiming that when they do kiss, it only lasts for 5 seconds or less.

2011’s National Kissing Day also highlights that the British Heart Foundation and the Resuscitation Council UK (RCUK) have teamed up to call on the government to include Emergency Life Support (ELS) in England’s new National Curriculum. The kiss of life is taught as part of ELS and is arguably the most important kiss of all.

Over half of kids (60%) are powerless to help someone who has collapsed in the street despite three quarters (73%) wanting to be able to help. More than 4 in 5 teachers (86%) and 70% of parents believe it should be taught at school and 78% of British children even think they should be taught ELS. ELS skills include cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), which can help someone who’s had a cardiac arrest, and how to deal with an unconscious person, serious bleeding, choking and heart attacks.