Pepper spray has been in use for many years as a non-lethal weapon for use in self-defense. It comes in canisters small enough to be easily carried in a pocket or a purse and can even be made as part of a key-chain or a piece of jewelry. For self-defense, its function is to disable an attacker long enough to allow the victim to escape. It works well for this.
Most police officers have a can of 'mace' or pepper gas as part of their equipment, just like their gun and handcuffs. It affords a non-lethal means of bringing down a suspect and, you know, the police like to have options. In rare instances a spray will not be totally effective on a particular person, but, usually it has the desired effect.
The 'pepper' in the name comes from the main ingredient, which comes from the fruit of a pepper plant. It's called capsicum, and it's HOT! It's made into aerosol form by a fairly simple process and packaged into several different sized containers, for sale to the public. A certain ammunition for use in paint ball guns also contains capsicum and is used by some police departments for use in riot control operations.
Pepper spray falls in the category of lachrymatory agents, which means it affects your eyes, causing them to burn and tear up. It will also cause intense pain, forcing you to close your eyes and can even cause temporary blindness. It is considered non-lethal generally, although some deaths have been caused through its use, either directly or indirectly.
Pepper spray is an inflammatory agent and causes an immediate reaction in the form of coughing, runny nose, difficultly breathing and painful, burning eyes that forced shut. These effects will usually last for a half hour or more, with residual effects sometimes lasting many hours more. Some suspects will exhibit less willingness to succumb to the effects of being sprayed with pepper gas, but it's rare. Usually these are the ones really high on amphetamines.
If given the choice, DON'T get sprayed with this stuff. There are stories of people spraying themselves accidentally while checking out their unit. Bad move! If you happen to be in an area where a riot starts (it could happen) and the police start using the capsicum rounds, cover your mouth and eyes and get away. Stay upwind if possible.
There's a ban against the use of any riot control agents in the waging of war, according to current conventions. That sounds crazy, but it's the rules! Laws governing the use of sprays for police forces or personal self-protection vary according to country and local jurisdictional practices. In Hong Kong, for instance, non-lethal sprays are classified as firearms and require issuance of a permit to carry. In India, where they're specifically allowed only for self-defense, no permit is required but products aren't sold over the counter.
Pepper spray works well for its intended purpose. It's very popular with women as a deterrent against would-be attackers. If there's ever a need, it's a good thing to have handy. Consider the alternative.
Author: Mike Ward can help you find the right pepper spray product. For more information about pepper spray and other personal security products please visit Protection Depot.
Tags:
home security,
pepper spray,
personal protection,
personal security,
security,
self defense
March 19 2010 | home security | No Comments »
I had never been afraid to live on my own, even at the age of 21, until someone tried to break into my single wide mobile home at 3:00 in the morning. Not having any self-defense weapons in the house, nor any self-defense training, I could not believe this was happening to me. After he had tried and failed to open any windows, he blatantly knocked on my front door, demanding I let him in. Not knowing who it was, I refused to open the door, at which he became ballistic and pulled up on one of the roll out windows on the door, breaking it. I had just received the operator after dialing 911, but I panicked after hearing the window break, dropping the phone. My German Shepherd was chained up several feet away from the back of the house. I ran out the back door, flew across the gravel and let her loose. She had already been barking, so she knew he was in the front and she ran around the house towards him. The intruder yelled something as he jumped off the front porch, ran to his car in the vacant lot next door and took off.
I did not even have a self-defense mentality. I merely acted out of panic and hope that my people friendly dog would actually protect me. I was lucky in this case.
I experienced a period of shock afterward, shaking uncontrollably. It left me angry and bitter towards men who choose to use their brawn to terrify and try to control women and intrude on their private refuge. I didn't realize at the time that a preplanned out strategy of self-dense could have given me the upper hand. It could have saved me years of being afraid to live alone again.
As it was, I was totally helpless mentally because I had not prepared myself for any self-defense situation coming my way. I did not see the possible assailant's face, causing me to look at every man for many weeks afterward as the potential perpetrator. The vicious sound of his voice demanding "LET ME IN" stayed in my head for several years. It was a long time before I started trusting men again.
There were actions I could have taken to possibly insure a positive outcome in this situation that I was not even aware of at the time. Instead, I did several things wrong:
1. Thinking anyone would ever want to break into my house and do me bodily damage had never entered my mind before this incident. I was really simple minded at that age to believe this, considering myself rather plain and tomboyish, and believing that only "beautiful" women were singled out for such an attack. The self-defense action here would have been to have a previous plan in place if this were ever to happen so I would be mentally prepared.
2. I didn't finish the call to 911. I didn't realize that to get through the door, the intruder would have also had to break through the screen, reach in and unlock the door, giving me plenty of time to make sure the police were on their way. The self-defense action here would have been to stay on the line with the operator until help arrived. Also, I should have known how secure my doors and windows were.
3. Although I trusted my German Shepherd to protect me, she was really not a protection dog and I should not have gone out the back door in case someone else was waiting out there. It was a bit of a run to the safety of the dog. The self-defense action here would have been to stay in the house and again stay on the phone until help arrived.
4. The only self-defense weapon in the house was a knife. It may have stopped him if he had gotten in, but chances are he would have over powered me, taken it away and possibly used it on me. A stun gun or pepper spray would have been a better self-defense weapon, causing an immediate debilitating effect on any intruder. Having some kind of non-lethal weapon or alarm system on hand or in place would have been the self-defense action that was missing. That action alone could have given me the confidence to know that if the intruder actually did get in my house, he would have regretted it.
I could have had a personal alarm system in place on the windows, a motion alert alarm or a door guard alarm set to scare off anyone touching the door knob. Any of these self-defenses could have saved me years of fear, given me confidence and security and might possibly have helped catch the perpetrator.
Today we have these means of protection. They are affordable and pepper sprays and stun guns are legal in most cities and states. However, be sure to check your local and state laws before buying. If a woman wants to live alone, she should and can feel safe and secure without the need to own a lethal gun. Some of the keys to self-defense are:
a. Plan ahead and even have back-up plans.
b. Have a non-lethal self-defense weapon easily accessible and know how to use it.
c. Have your dog in the house with you at night, and
d. Practice, practice, practice. Come up with possible scenarios and practice how to use your self-defense weapon until it becomes second nature. Know that IF a perpetrator WERE to invade your home and sanctuary while you are home alone, HE would regret it and wind up being the victim, not you.
Karleen Lindsey is a proponent for women's safety without the use of deadly weapons. To receive 20% off of your first purchase over $10, check out her products to protect women and particularly home safety, using coupon code 3254
Tags:
defending self,
home security,
keep women safe,
non lethal self defense products,
non-lethal self defense weapons,
non-lethal weapons,
pepper spray,
safety products,
self defense,
self defense products,
self-defense actions,
stun guns,
women's safety
March 01 2010 | home security | No Comments »