Defense Sprays: Just shoot ‘em?
Our store sells all kinds of sprays and stun guns and knives and batons, all of which are in some way effective forms of personal defense. But as I go down that list of “tools”, I am forced to ask myself where I stand if grounded in reality.
A stun gun is effective, but is a battery powered device, which makes it subject to failure. Dead batteries are the antithesis of serendipity. “Taser”, the gazillion-volt law enforcement wonder that makes attackers dance and wail like a baby, and which is now available to civilians, is frankly cost prohibitive. Aside from requiring “arm’s reach” proximity to an assailant, batons and knives are brutal and require more than just a willingness to defend. You have to be prepared to injure, maim, and yes… possibly kill another human being. The same goes for a gun, which is in a category entirely its own. Obviously, and as anyone rational person would say, I will always do what I have to do when it is in defense of my family. But I would certainly prefer to seek a less “permanent” solution. If not for those reasons alone, think of the legal ramifications of beating, breaking, cutting, scarring, or disabling someone, regardless of the level or nature of their intent for you. Imagine lawsuits or jail for defending yourself. It happens. Sadly, it really happens. So what can you do?
I had
the opportunity last year to attend a training seminar for Sabre brand
defense spray, to become a certified instructor for their Civilian
Safety Awareness Program. I found this to be one of the more
enlightening educational experiences of my life. The program is
intended to educate participants on the nature and composition of
defense spray products and how they compare to one another, how exactly
they do what they do, and some easy-to-remember tips on the effective
use of defense sprays. I have to say I love their principal statement, "Making Grown Men Cry Since 1975". On the product website, www.sabrered.com,
there is some general information about deploying defense spray.
Simply put, this stuff works. If you ever get a chance, look up some
webclips of poor souls being sprayed with their products. The effect is
dramatic.
So back to the initial question: Why not just shoot
‘em? I was raised around firearms and am comfortable with them. But in
practically all confrontations that I could possibly find myself in for
the rest of my life, I can’t imagine being in a situation that couldn’t
either be resolved by just walking away, calling the authorities, or
hosing someone down with a little canister of liquid hell. You have to
love this stuff. It is cheap, reliable and effective. My personal
favorites are the Sabre products. Our store carries a great selection,
and they are all very good, but after learning about them, I find their
stuff is the greatest average of desirable features. It is what I keep
in my house, what my wife, my mother-in-law, and my sister carry.
Defense spray in general is a high value-to-cost product. Ranging
typically from $10 to $20, it comes in sprays, streams, fogs (yikes),
gels, and foams. It is entirely legal to possess and use (when one
feels justifiably threatened, not just hacked off at the fast food drive
through attendant). There are several styles of sprayers, from
keychains, writing pens, wrist hangers, clip onto the belt, and various
sizes of handheld units, including the fogger (double yikes), which
looks like a compact fire extinguisher! They come in colors, from
subtle and low-key, to bright and highly visible. We actually direct
females who will carry it in their purses to purchase bright colors, to
help with locating it visually in the bottom of a bag or on the ground
if dropped in the dark. We have one really neat unit that is designed
for the user to be able to easily spray over the shoulder if grabbed
from behind.
The variations in discharge are spray or stream, just like a window
cleaner bottle. The spray comes out like a cone and covers a greater
area. Just be conscious of the wind! The stream is sort of preferred
for this reason. It seams to have a greater range as well. As long as
you have the presence of mind to point in the right direction, you will
hit your target easily, and with some force, from about 12 feet away.
They say to spray from side to side from ear to ear in order to get the
eyes. There are also gels and foams. While not for me, they do have
their place. If you work in an environment that would not benefit from
an aerosol laden with OC, such as a hospital or daycare, foam or gel
that only affected what it stuck to would be preferable. Taxi drivers
would probably prefer something that would not require the
reupholstering of their vehicles as well…
The one I keep in my household, and the one the store sells the most
of, is of course the Sabre brand “3-IN-1”. It contains pepper spray,
military teargas, and UV dye. This does not send a would-be attacker
running away looking like a Smurf… It leaves a dye on the skin from 24
to 72 hours that is visible under UV light. The overall effect is that
the recipient’s eyes slam shut, they feel like they are choking, which
induces panic, and of course, they want to claw the very skin from their
face. I am okay with that. The container label says approximately 25
1-second bursts. My experience with the product is a little different.
It is a pressurized container, meaning the more times it is used, the
less pressure that will be inside. My feeling is that if you have used
it a couple of times and lived to tell the tale, you got your money’s
worth out of it and should just buy another one. Also, in adrenaline
mode, who is going to measure out one second bursts? Oh no, it is
definitely hose-down time. Once you have doused an attacker and headed
for safety, make your next stop the sales counter of the friendly
neighborhood defense spray salesman for a new unit.
Some people have been talking about wasp spray, which has a range of
around 25’. Again, you are back to the legal dilemma. It is not
intended for human use. Not only are you opening yourself up to
litigation for defending yourself, you may actually blind someone.
The same goes for bear spray, used by hikers. But these, again, fall
into the moral venue as well. I understand defending yourself and your
family, but at what cost to yourself?
Bottom line, there are always options for self defense. I
personally find defense spray to be inexpensive, reliable, easy to use,
and extremely effective. I trust it to defend those closest to me when I
can not be there for them in person. I gladly put it in the hands of
persons who may not otherwise have a chance against threats greater than
themselves. And I will continue to recommend it first when someone
asks for something to use for personal protection.