Introduction:
Introduction: According to the results of studies of public opinion (Center for Public Opinion Research – CBOS 2007), approximately 43% of Poles are still incapable of providing fi rst aid. Why is it so diffi cult to provide fi rst aid to someone else? There are many causes, of which the primary ones are: fear of assuming responsibility for someone else’s life, concern about infl icting a still greater harm to a victim, counting on someone else to render assistance, concern about legal responsibility, and fi nally – which is the most important – inability to provide fi rst aid.

Objective:
The objective of the study was evaluation of the level of knowledge concerning the provision of fi rst aid among adolescents attending secondary general and technical schools and students from universities in the Lublin Region.

Material and Methods:
The study covered 500 schoolchildren attending secondary general and technical schools and university students of various specialties. The precondition of participating in the study was participation in fi rst aid classes within the school curriculum. The research instrument was a test of knowledge concerning fi rst aid. The results of the studies obtained were subjected to statistical analysis.

Conclusions:
Based on the results of the studies, the following conclusions were drawn: 1) the state of respondents’ knowledge concerning fi rst aid was unsatisfactory; 2) the great majority of respondents were of the opinion that the provision of fi rst aid to a victim is not only an obligation, but also a possibility to save someone’s life or health; 3) the respondents evaluated their knowledge of fi rst aid in negative terms; 4) students of all specialties should participate in obligatory classes in fi rst aid during their studies; 5) education in fi rst aid should start in elementary school and be continued through the subsequent years of education and work, each time as reminders of life-saving activities.