Of all the "uses," Dr. Heimlich has focused his attention on promoting the choking maneuver as the first procedure to be used on near-drowning victims instead of mouth-to-mouth resuscitation, as seen in this public service announcement produced by the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine, on whose board Dr. Heimlich serves.

But leading emergency medicine experts disagree with Dr. Heimlich's theory. A report in the reputable National Academy of Sciences concluded the "available evidence does not support routine use of the Heimlich maneuver" because even a short delay in restoring breathing through CPR can "cause brain damage and death."
(PSA, Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine)