The market for developing personal and law enforcement self-defense products is a booming industry in some countries such as the use of tasers and pepper spray. Do you know about the use of these products?

Choosing to use personal self defense weapons other than a hand held gun or rifle is more for outside and away from home. I don’t think carrying a rifle makes for a pretty fashion statement in the middle of a city though a strong message in itself. A need to maintain personal safety does exist due to the rise of crime and risk to personal safety.

Theories for the reasons about why crimes are committed, vary with sociologists, criminologists, psychologists, psychiatrists and other conflict theorists. Response by society to crime has arisen with fear and need for personal safety measures and products. Two such personal safety products are the use of taser’s and pepper spray.

Taser’s is a acronym for Thomas A. Swift Electric Rifle. It is also called a stun gun and the technical names used for stun guns are ;

– Conducted Energy Device (CED)
- or Conducted Energy Weapon (CEW)

Taser’s are designed to deliver a electrical shock to a person that causes uncontrollable muscle contraction in the body immobilizing them. It provides time for a potential victim to escape death, call for help and get to safety. Use by law enforcement and military personnel have higher range up to 10 + meters whereas personal taser’s have a range of 4 + meters.

Great controversy exists in the use of Taser’s due to the much publicized case with the RCMP in Canada at the airport causing death. Taser’s in Canada are strictly regulated. Well, the heart does use it's own electrical impulses. Would a taser interfere with the hearts natural rhythms?

Pepper spray is another personal safety product that is available in some states. It is a aerosol or foam product made from cayenne peppers containing oleoresin capsicum (OC) as the main active ingredient. It is classified as an inflammatory agent and will immediately disable an attacker causing them to cough, choke, feel nauseous, dilate their eye capillaries causing temporary blindness, their mucous membranes will swell to the point of cutting off all but life support breathing, and feel intense burning.

The use of pepper spray has proven to be quite effective for 15 minutes or up to one hour, against criminals that are on drugs, violent or indifferent to pain and wears off slowly due to it’s oily contents. Depending where you live this product is regulated by countries, states and cities . It is not unheard of about lawsuits being filed by criminals against would-be victims over the use of this spray therefore it’s very important to know your legal responsibilities, laws, city ordinances about the sale, possession and use of this product. I think maybe the Pepper spray available to hang around your neck would be a ideal safety measure to practice.

Pepper spray is popular for use by mail couriers and wild life conservation officers against both domestic and wild animal attacks. A great product for city and rural areas but includes our military personnel too. They are usually available for purchase through your local firearms dealers or pharmacist and is legal in 50 states but restrictions exist on size, strength, etc. It is best to check with your city or attorney and available for purchase to adults, 18 or older. Not available to the public in Canada. What do you do to maintain your own and family personal safety?

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