Opinions: Could you give the kiss of life?

Saturday 21 May 1994 23:02 BST
Comments

'DANGEROUS' DAVE PEARCE, Breakfast Show DJ, Kiss FM: Only if they'd flossed their teeth, weren't wearing Brut and didn't support Millwall. And I'd avoid beards too.

JACQUES CUVELIER, artist: All kisses are the kiss of life, and we French love kissing. I would imagine that we would find it easier to give the kiss of life to a stranger than the British - who seem to hate kissing under any circumstances.

ANN MORGAN, glass company PR: I'd give my boyfriend the kiss of life, but I think I would definitely draw the line at an old tramp. I don't even sit by them on the train. I don't think anybody would if they were honest with themselves. If I saw Tom Cruise drowning and gagging for breath at my feet I might just help him.

JOHN GANNON, fireman: I saved a dog from a fire by giving it mouth-to-mouth. I'm sure he had fleas because I was scratching for a week after. We were called to a fire on a barge on the canal, and we searched the place twice because we had had a report that someone was in there. We didn't find anybody, but we found this dog under ropes at the front of the boat. We tried to resuscitate it using a cylinder of air, but it ran out so I carried on with my mouth. They called me 'The Vet' after that . . . and some other names.

LAURA BOWEN, student: I would have a go if no-one else looked as though they were going to help. We all learnt it in a big group in the school gym and when we got to the bit about clearing the airway, removing vomit and dentures, everyone said 'Yuk'. I would not be keen to do it on anybody whose tonsils I was not already intimately acquainted with.

DAVE MAGUIRE, town crier: In all honesty I wouldn't like to give it to a drunk bloke who had been sick, but if it came to it I think I would help anyone. After all, human life is sacred.

JULIE MENGHIUS, principal, medical employment agency: Yes, of course I would. I was trained to do it many years ago at an evening class and used it once even though I knew the person was dead. It was an emotional response I suppose, and it did no good, but it's always worth a try.

GEOFFREY HOBBS, hotel receptionist: I've seen them do it on the telly but I don't know how to do it myself. I'd be a bit worried about blood

and Aids. But if someone is in real trouble I suppose you have a go regardless. It must be instinctive.

CLAIRE E RIDER, singer, barber shop choir: Being a bass with excellent breathing control I might blow the person up. Or I might end up kissing them by mistake, especially if it was someone I knew. Good grief] It's almost sexual in a way isn't it?

IAN BLEASDALE, aka Josh Griffiths in Casualty: I notice Di didn't do it. It's typical of royalty to get someone else to do it for them. I'd do it as long as the person wasn't a member of the Tory party.

(Photograph omitted)

Join our commenting forum

Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies

Comments

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in