Women especially are the targets of violence. It is almost a certainty that at some point in a woman’s life she’s going to be assaulted, the victim of a robbery, a domestic violence statistic, the victim of rape or worse, maybe even murder. That is a sad statistic but it’s just a fact.
Knowing this fact and understanding that you will be a victim gives you time to develop a self defense strategy. And that time to develop self defense tactics is now.
For many different reasons a lot of people don’t believe in the deadly force of carrying a handgun. People who follow and respect the law recognize deadly force as a final choice in defending themselves.
The law and moral code allow us to respond to aggressive acts with the least amount of force necessary to get the job done. This “continuum of force” is the same thought process that law enforcement officers use. They start with the least amount of force needed to get compliance to a lawful order and escalate from there.
In their case it can be a lawful order all the way up to a handgun. For civilians the options are less limited. They may start with some self defense techniques that can be learned by attending a self-defense class like the ones that are offered in every city by police departments or community organizations.
The next option is to use a self defense product. They are nonlethal and are meant to give you time to escape a dangerous situation and get help.
Pepper spray, or defensive spray, is the most popular of all self defense products in the world. It is made with the resin of one of the hottest peppers in the world. This resin is called oleoresin capsicum or OC for short.
Pepper spray is on average, close to 90% effective. So the implication is that it doesn’t work in every case. For example, the wind can blow it off course so make sure you have that backup of self defense tactics to defend yourself.
OC spray causes swelling of the membranes in the eyes to the point where the eyes may shut. It also causes excessive tearing, coughing, choking, difficulty breathing and very intense pain. The effects are not permanent and will go away after 30 to 45 minutes. It may seem longer than that to an assailant.
Pepper Sprays are legal in all 50 states. Some states do have restrictions on the amount of OC that can be used in them, so some companies make special formulations to accommodate those restrictions.
If you choose to use pepper spray as part of your self defense strategy make sure you learn how to use it and get training which is available if you feel you need it. Then practice using it so you become proficient in its use.
The Home Security Superstore is one of the oldest and largest independent distributors of high quality home security, surveillance, spy, self-defense, survival and safety products. We carry a wide range of self-defense products including Tasers, stun guns, pepper sprays, and other non-lethal weapons that can save your life in the event of an attack.