Security Whip

Pepper spray is considered a non-lethal or less than lethal weapon and may serve as a great substitute when a gun is impractical.  Pepper spray will bring a grown man to his knees in excruciating pain.  I speak from experience and not theory on this subject, its like liquid fire!  Trust me on this.

Pepper spray or oleoresin capsicum (OC) is the oily extract of the cayenne pepper plant. Exposure to OC irritates the skin, eyes, and mucous membranes of the upper respiratory tract.  The properties of the pepper plant have been known for centuries. In countries such as Japan, samurai warriors threw rice-paper bags filled with pepper extracts into the eyes of their enemies to cause temporary blindness.  In China, soldiers heated red peppers in hot oil to form a smoke irritant to be blown over enemy lines.  Source:  http://www.ncjrs.gov/pdffiles1/nij/188069.pdf

Pepper spray is measured in Scoville Heat Units (SHU), in layman’s terms, the higher the SHU number the more painful it is.  One key thing to remember is that OC is not water-soluble, so it won’t wash off in water! To help remove the spray off of the surface of the skin a mild detergent such as soap, shampoo, or dish washing detergent should be used. Any thing that is cool such as ice, cold water, a cold surface, or a fan will provide some temporary “relief”. But, once the ice, water or fan is removed, it will begin to burn again.  Milk has been shown to provide some relief and is frequently recommended for the treatment of natural capsaicin exposure.  Unfortunately, most people don’t have a supply of milk on hand when exposed to OC.  Ultimately it will just take time for the effects to wear off.

From experience I would recommend a stream, foam or gel as apposed to a spray, mist or cone shaped spray.  I have heard and read where some individuals recommend a cone shaped spray or mist, with the thought being you don’t have to be very accurate.  Personally, I’m against this due to the potential for blowback, which is when you spray a “bad guy” with OC and some of the spray inevitable ends up on you due to wind or just poor aim.  A foam or gel can reduce this problem considerably.  With any of these products you don’t have to be a crack shot.  If you get just a little bit of this stuff on a persons face, there first reaction is to wipe it off immediately and all they will be doing is spreading the pain.  Some OC sprays even contain an infused dye that won’t wash off, to make it easy to identify an assailant.

Check out the video below which seems to be a pretty good representation of how “most” people act after getting sprayed.

*Note: You cannot carry OC/pepper spray on an airplane or in carry-on luggage or in the passenger area.  Make sure to check all your local, state and federal laws before carrying and purchasing.

Thanks

Security Guy

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