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It's sad to say but in today's society crime seems to be a part of all of our lives. We must be equipped and prepared to defend ourselves at any moment. If you are looking for a non-lethal means of self defense my first choice would be pepper spray. When choosing a pepper spray it will help to understand how they are rated. There two different ways that they are rated. These are called OC% and SHU (scoville heat units) ratings. OC means Oleoresin Capsaicin which is the active ingredient in pepper spray. Many sprays list the percentage of OC right on the unit which differs from maker to maker. This percentage dosn't necessarily tell you how hot the spray really is though. The effectiveness of OC is related to the quality of capsaicin in the OC more than the quantity. For instance are they using jalapenos, habaneras or perhaps bell peppers. You can see where this would make a big difference in the hotness produced. A habanera is about 50 times hotter than a jalapeno and a bell pepper has no heat at all. So to know how hot any particular one is you should look at the SHU rating. The average pepper spray has a 1 to 2 million scoville heat unit rating. The hottest one I know of is Wildfire™ pepper spray at 3 million SHU. The biggest advantages of pepper spray is the speed of the effect (only 2 or 3 seconds) and that it can be used at a distance of up to 20 feet. This means it has taken effect before the person can reach you and gives you the opportunity to run or attract the attention of others. Pepper spray is a potent means of protection for anyone, especially women and senior citizens, as it is very light weight and easy to carry. It is also extremely easy to use. Unlike guns, you don't need to be pin-point accurate when firing for it to be effective. With a fogger you can even take out multiple attackers at once. Pepper sprays, when used on an attacker, are basically an inflammatory agent. Unlike tear gas they do not rely on causing pain and are effective even when the person is on drugs, alcohol or is psychotic. They cause the eyes to close involuntarily and swell the capillaries in the eyes making the attacker temporarily blind even if they can manage to open their eyes. It also causes runny nose, restricted breathing, disorientation, burning sensation on the skin, coughing attacks and swells the mucous membranes. The effects may last for anywhere from twenty to forty minutes. But lingering effects can remain for a few hours. There are many things that you can do to give yourself and added edge in defending yourself and I believe that pepper spray is one of the best. It's safe, non-lethal, effective and easy to use. Now that you know how pepper sprays are evaluated and the effects that they produce it should be easier for you to choose the right one for you.
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