A Taser is a self defense weapon that delivers electric shock to the person it is applied upon. Manufactured by Taser International it is a bit different from the stun gun. It can be called a brand name rather than a general name for a device. According to the company the mechanism that is used here is called electro-muscular disruption technology. Its application results in involuntary muscle contraction.

Earlier police and other law enforcing agencies used it as a non lethal weapon to keep the offenders immobile. Though originally it was strictly used by the police, nowadays it is also being allowed for use as a self-defense weapon for vulnerable targets like working women, female students or anyone who is vulnerable to sudden attack that can sometimes turn fatal.

Whether a taser gun is a fatal weapon or not is a matter of opinion. Researches show that you cannot ignore the chance of death though the chance is very low. To put it numerically, it comes to 0.1 percent of the total usage.

Before judging the fact that whether a taser is fatal or not, one should know first how it works on enemy. It is a high voltage but low current stimulator that makes a person almost disabled. It works on sensory and motor nerves and the person looses his body control. In addition there is unbearable pain and fatigue. Thus a person becomes immobile without getting any injury. A taser gun is so powerful that if it is triggered on a pregnant woman it will kill the fetus and will be the cause of miscarriage. If it is shot on man’s ankle or leg or any part of his body for only 10 seconds, it will lock his leg or ankle or any place of his body immediately. Though police think that it is safer than hand guns, it is not 100% non lethal. Few doctors are of the opinion that it can be fatal if it is used for a long time as well as repeatedly upon the victim.

These guns are much more powerful than stun guns which also work in almost a similar way. So there is a strong opinion that the use of the tasers should not be allowed or strictly controlled.