Pepper Spray: The Truth About Self Defense and Why Carrying It May Not Be the Answer
One of the weapons people think about when they are talking about self defense is pepperspray.
Even in countries like Holland where virtually every weapon is illegal, pepper spray recently was a point of debate in the government. There is a lot to be said for pepper spray when it's wielded by a capable and trained person, however when it's sold to any one and his dog I am somewhat less optimistic.
Pepper spray or OC spray is a chemical agent that works on the eyes and mucus membranes. It’s available in many different strengths and formats and is generally used by the police in self defense situations. When you decide to buy pepper spray there are a couple of things you have to keep in mind: first what do I want to defend myself against ? If you want to defend yourself against a bear you need a different type of spray then when you want to defend yourself against a person. The strength of pepper spray is measured by the amount of Oleoresin Capsicum or OC, that is extracted from the Capcicum plant. plants like bell pepper and other peppers are related to this plant. The percentage of this chemical is responsible for its effectiveness. Spray you buy in the US generally has a percentage between 0,18% and 3%
Now if you want something that works on bears you need to go towards 10% OC at these strengths the scale becomes a different one namely the CRC scale. The percentage of OC is however no guarantee for its effectiveness. For Instance If the fluid has a lot of oil in it, it doesn't penetrate the skin as easily, meaning that it's less effective. If someone gets hit by pepperspray and he isn't desensitized through training, you are looking at 5 to 10 minutes of down time after that you eyes will be sore for another 45 minutes, (apparently baby shampoo has a soothing effect but it's unclear how)
Let's say you feel unsafe and you decide to buy a can of pepper spray. After deciding who your potential assailants are you go to the shop and decide on a type and brand you want to get. Now you have to ask yourself; how are you going to carry it with you? Let's say you are a woman who wants to carry a can of mace, chances are that this can will disappear in to your bag. Everyone knows that women's handbags is like a portal to another world. All kinds of stuff goes in, never to be heard from again. This means that if the time comes it is quite possible that you won't be able to find it in the chaos that is most women's bags. Second problem……. Can you reach your bag at all when you need to? Third, can still function under stress or are you paralyzed by fear? Then there is the issue of maintenance, pepper spray has a shelf life, because the propellant in the cans sometimes evaporates. This is why the manufacturers recommend replacing the spray annually. By now it should be clear that just having a can of pepper spray is not the answer.
Training
In truth pepper spray can be a very useful weapon when wielded by a trained person. But let me give you a couple of arguments against carrying it. First of all I think that if you want to carry a weapon you have to train with it regularly otherwise you will never be able to use it effectively. In addition, this weapon can also be used against you. However, the biggest argument against using Pepper spray is the fact that it is a partial mist. This means that if you spray it there is a high chance that you will be hit by your own spray, especially if someone is close to you. The result is that you can no longer flee or fight properly.
Conclusion
In short, anyone who thinks pepper spray is the answer, should maybe reconsider. I feel that proper training in dealing with violence and maybe looking into the effect the media has on your feelings of fear might be a better strategy than carrying a can of Pepper Spray.
