Most British adults are unready to help a child who suffers an asthma attack, campaigners warned yesterday.
A survey conducted by Asthma UK found that 88 per cent of adults admitted not being "completely confident" about what to do.
The figures, from a YouGov survey, were published for World Asthma Day.
The charity urged people to order Asthma Attack Cards, which set out what to do. Key steps include ensuring that the sufferer uses the blue reliever inhaler at one minute intervals.
Asthma UK chief executive Neil Churchill said Britons were "complacent" about asthma.
He said: "The complacency that exists about asthma in the UK is shocking and dangerous and cannot continue.
"Every member of the public needs to know the signs of worsening asthma and what steps to take if someone suffers an asthma attack. Not acting quickly enough can result in needless deaths that shatter lives."
He added: "The NHS also needs to take a zero tolerance approach to asthma deaths – parents who have lost children to asthma have told us they feel that a more proactive approach from health professionals might have made a crucial difference."
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