First off we need a few definitions. There are three types of agents used in defensive sprays. CS (orthoclorobenzalmalonitrile), CN (alphachloroacetaphenone); both of which are commonly known as tear as or Mace; and OC (Oleoresin Capsicum); commonly known as pepper spray. All three work about the same, they irritate the lining of they eyes, nose and throat causing a person to tear up, begin coughing and forcing they body to try to flush the irritants from the body. This is the basis of the stopping power or pepper spray.

Now some things you should know about CS and CN spray. They, like OC spray, irritate the membranes and cause pain as one of their effects. Now pain can be an inducement to stop whatever it is a criminal is doing, but you don't want to rely on that solely for protection. People, after all, can block out pain, some people are also immune to CS and CN spray. You don't want to find that out after spraying someone who's attacking you, only to discover that it doesn't work.

Another pitfall is the length for the spray to take place. Not only have field tests by police officers documented the failure of CS and CN spray, especially when the target is drunk or high, but the effects can take anywhere from 5 seconds to 30 second to manifest themselves. In a combat situation 5 seconds can seem 5 years and 30 seconds an eternity.

OC is different in many ways. Rather than irritate, it inflames. This is critical when you think about how a small man, woman or teen can protect themselves against a large man or woman. Rather than use pain, OC disables a person by making it hard to see and breathe. The swelling won't completely close off they windpipe, so the attacker won't suffocate from somebody using pepper spray on them.

There are two pieces of information that you need to look for when deciding on a pepper spray to buy. The first is the percentage of OC in the product, relative to gas, dyes, etc. and SHU or Scoville Heat Units. To give you an example the SHU of a habanero pepper is about 200,000 to 300,000 SHU. Now in my younger years I ate a habanero pepper whole. Once. The pain could be best described as if you had put a porcupine in your mouth and held it there for about 30 minutes. It was excruciating. Most pepper sprays have SHU up to 2,000,000 SHU, 9 to 10 times the heat of a habanero pepper. The effects of pepper spray will wear off in about 30 minutes, much less time than CS or CN spray, which still gives you plenty of time to leave the area.

That's the most important safety tip I can give you. After spraying your assailant, leave, run, yell and scream for help. Call the police if you have a cell phone that works. Many defense sprays come with a dye that shows up by UV light, making it easier for law enforcement to identify your attacker. All any self defense tool does is give you time to summon help. Pepper spray is no different.

There are three methods of dispersal when you're talking about pepper spray. Stream, mist an fog. Each has advantages and disadvantages. A stream, for example is good for distance (5-20 feet) and you have less of a chance of blowback when you use it. Some disadvantages are that you must spray directly into the mouth, nose and eyes of the attacker and, like all sprays, effectiveness can be muted by wind, rain, fans, etc. Mist sprays shoot out cones of spray which is good for "area denial" applications, say down hallways, up staircases etc. The mist is more immediate than the stream sprays, but more vulnerable to wind and rain conditions. Fogs emit the spray kind of like a fire extinguisher, which is considered the most effective and immediate when stopping an attacker. They are also less vulnerable to wind and are excellent in "area denial" applications. Fogger type sprays have a range of 15-20 feet, making them a valuable "stand off" tool. The only drawback to these types of sprays are the limited number of shots compared to other sprays.

So when deciding on a spray to use, you need to think about how and where you're going to use it. Will you be best served by a personal keychain spray that shoots a stream? Perhaps you need a fogger type spray for home defense. Keep the advantages and disadvantages in mind when choosing a pepper spray and you'll have a tool that will serve you well against any criminal.

There's a foam type of spray that can be used in certain situations. One of the benefits is that it can be used in windy/rainy weather and still maintain it's effectiveness. The main benefit, however is the fact that in order to get the foam off, the criminal has to wipe it off the affected area. In essence this forces someone to grind the foam deeper into the mouth, nose and eyes.

The main drawback is the limited range of the product. You pretty much have to be in hand to hand range, "decisively engaged" as our military likes to call it, but as an "at all costs" measure, it's very effective.

Now we come to bear asnd canine prays. They are usually fogger type sprays which are ideal because you don't want to engage a bear or dog up close and personal. So you'll use them on an animal at the range of 15-20 feet. The formulation is about 2 percent OC which makes it legal in places like Michigan and Wisconsin.

So yes, you can also use bear spray against humans and other animals, etc. Also not only do the several states have differing laws about the use, formulation and who can sell pepper spray, so too do certain cities have laws regarding the sale, possession and use of pepper spray. Protect yourself from lawsuits and/or criminal charges and get to know your state and local laws concerning pepper sprays. You'll save yourself a lot of grief in the future.

Now some people might cringe at the thought of causing pain to a pet or some type of wildlife. Keep in mind, however, that they don't feel the same to you as you do towards them. The benefit is that even something as big and ferocious as a bear will find some other prey as soon as you give them a whiff of OC pepper spray. After a time, the spray will wear off and chances are that they'll not soon try that sort of thing again. Sometimes the burned hand teaches best.

To recap, pepper sprays are great for delaying an attacker and giving you time to summon help. Pepper sprays are inflammatory agents that affect the eyes, nose and mouth of the attacker. Remember, they stop focusing on hurting you and focus all of their attention on the fact that they have to think about breathing.  They can still breathe so you can rest assured that you won't cause the death of your assailant.  Don't hesitate!

Pepper spray effectiveness is measured by the percentage content of OC agent, which can matter depending on the laws where you are, and SHU, which is a measure of the "hotness" of the spray. Pepper sprays come in several types of dispensers. Stream sprays are like the ones cops use, cone sprays and fogger sprays which can be used as area denial tools and foam, which forces an attacker to scape the spray off of them and can be devistating to an attacker, but has the drawback of being limited in range.  Aim well.

Get to know the laws in your area concerning the use of pepper sprays and what is considered acceptable use of force.  Talk to the poice who patrol your neighborhood, the can tell you.  Plus if they know you it's easier to deal with them because then they're someone you know, not some stranger.  Practice with your spray, so you'll be ready if you ever need it and there won't be any surprises.  Finally use what you've learned to take care of yourself and others, after all in the end that's all we have, each other.