For several decades, pepper spray has been the self defense “weapon” of choice by anyone who either cannot or will not carry a gun, or anyone looking for a way to defend him or herself without the risk of killing or permanently injuring his or her attacker. Pepper spray is also known as mace, although the real “mace” is something else entirely. In the last few decades or so the attacker deterrent known as mace has become illegal, but people are so used to calling the little aerosol self defense devices they carry “mace” that the name stuck and many kinds of pepper spray are also referred to as mace.
If you are going to rely on pepper spray as your self-defense weapon of choice, you should educate yourself a little on what it is and what it does. As a part of their training to use pepper spray in the field, most police officers in this country are required to experience its effects first hand. While no one is asking you to spray yourself,rolex explorer ii, it is important to understand a little about how the stuff works so you can use it responsibly. While pepper spray may not be as lethal as a gun, this stuff is still no joke.
Pepper spray is made out of a compound extracted from hot peppers called oleoresin capsicum. You know when you eat something really spicy and your mouth starts to feel like it’s burning? Now imagine a sensation about a hundred times more powerful, in your eyes, lungs and all over your skin. Some European types of pepper spray are actually made of synthesized compounds that mimic the effects of natural pepper spray, but no comparison studies have ever actually been done.
When someone is hit with pepper spray, a couple of things happen. First off, they are forced to close their eyes for about 15 minutes because of the unbearable pain should they try to open them. Studies have shown no permanent damage from a single exposure to pepper spray in the eyes, but repeated contact can result in changes in vision. Pepper spray also causes an intense burning feeling on the exposes skin which can last anywhere from 40 minutes up to an hour. The other, and perhaps most effective deterrent to attackers is that is makes a target’s upper body go into uncontrollable muscle spasms inducing intense coughing fits and making it hard for them to breathe or speak for 3 to 15 minutes. Unless you are being attacked by a guy in a gas mask, pepper spray will likely deter just about any aggressor. It is actually marketed for use against dogs and bears in less urban areas of the world.
Oleoresin capsicum (OC) is not water soluble, which means it can’t be washed off without soap or some other detergent. Its effects have been known to cause death in people with breathing problems like asthma or who are on certain medications, so as with any powerful weapon, even a “non-lethal” one like pepper spray, be careful with it and only use it when absolutely necessary. You should also be aware that it is not legal in many countries around the world and only in lower intensities in certain states,watch boxes, so do your research before buying a unit or taking it on a trip.
All those dire warnings aside, pepper spray is still better than a gun when it comes to up close personal self-defense. If you are caught in a bad situation, pulling a gun will likely turn a dangerous situation deadly for someone, whereas pulling a pepper sprayer will probably not. Additionally and perhaps most importantly, you have to be able to hit certain very specific targets with a gun in order to get an attacker to back down if he really means it. Unless you have trained in marksmanship and spend a lot of time on the shooting range, pulling a gun in a close up confrontation will likely only get you in bigger trouble as your attacker can take it from you or may have one of his own.
Pepper spray however is a more generalized weapon. You don’t need to worry about aim as much- just point it toward his face and pull the trigger. Unlike a bullet, which will only stop or slow someone if you hit the right spot, pepper spray will drop just about anyone for a good 3 to 5 minutes minimum- more than enough time for you to get away and call for help.