Pepper Spray at Self Defense Technology www.self-defense-technology.com
September 28th, 2008The Following article was written by Shelly Banjo of the Wall Street Journal.
Every year, millions of women in the U.S. become victims of violent crime. Unfortunately, most of those women don’t know what to do when the unthinkable happens.
Like many young women, Ashley Balley, 20, never thought she would have to physically fight for her life, especially against someone she knew.
But three years ago, Ms. Balley stopped by her then-boyfriend’s house to find him intoxicated and angry. The couple began quarrelling about his drinking and their relationship. As the argument began to escalate, he pinned her down to the floor and began beating her forcefully. It took Ms. Balley 45 minutes to break free from his hold. She ran to her car and drove home.
A neighbor called the police. When the police arrived at the boyfriend’s house, he answered the door holding a gun. In court, he was charged with resisting arrest and sentenced to five years in prison, where he remains today.
In 2006, about three million women became reported victims of violent crimes that include robbery, rape and sexual assault, according to the U.S. Bureau of Justice Statistic’s National 2006 Crime Victimization Survey.
According to the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Supplementary Homicide Reports from 1976-2005, most victims and perpetrators in violent crimes are male — in 65% of homicide cases, both the offender and victim is male. However, in cases of rape and sexual assault, the victim is almost always female. In the 2006 Crime Victimization Study, 232,960 women and 27,970 men reported being victims of rape or sexual result, with white and Hispanic women the most targeted victim group.
Women ages 12-34 are most at risk, says Steve Kardian, a retired police sergeant in Westchester, N.Y.
Often on their own for the first time in a new environment, young women need to be even more aware of their surroundings and resist the “it could never happen to me” mentality. Self defense experts say staying alert to what is going on around you, listening to your intuition and acting on your premonitions will help you navigate harmful situations, whether with an attacker, at work or in your social life.
Don’t Become a Target
Women can often avoid getting into dangerous situations by projecting confidence and remaining focused and alert. “Don’t make yourself prey to your predator”.
Experts say attackers operate on an animalistic mindset. “Predators come on the scene and identity a target within seven seconds. They are looking for “the easiest target,”. For instance, an attacker might zero in on someone unaware of her surroundings such as a woman speaking on her cellphone or shuffling through her purse.
Likewise, it’s common for a woman walking alone to pick up her cellphone and feel a sense of safety from someone listening on the other end. But “your cellphone is a false sense of security,” it distracts the woman and makes her a more likely target. “By the time the person on the other end reports the crime,” it is often too late.
On the other hand, predators will likely stay away from an aggressive and assertive person who looks like she knows where she is going.
Sharpen Your Intuition
Often young women try to be polite and not draw attention to themselves, even when someone is bothering them, but the predator will only pounce on that behavior. Look the predators in the eye, screaming, or making a scene. It shows you are not afraid.
But it’s not just strangers who may pose a threat. FBI reports found that female victims are more likely than male victims to be killed by an intimate partner or family member and according to the National Violence Against Women Survey, 22.1% of women (and 7.5% of men) reported they were physically assaulted by a current or former spouse, cohabiting partner, boyfriend, girlfriend or date at some time in their lives. In addition, 8% of women and 2.2% of men reported at least one incidence of being stalked in their lifetime. The report estimates that approximately one million women and 371,000 men are stalked annually in the U.S.
If you get a weird feeling about a person or are scared by the actions of someone you are close to, don’t dismiss your intuition and assume you are being paranoid. Instead, make a decision to act: Remove yourself from any situation and seek help if you feel uncomfortable, for whatever reason. So what if you did something a little out of the ordinary, the point is that you are safe.
Make a Plan
Preparedness often takes away the fear of an unsafe environment. Learn to protect yourself before the bad guys show up. Having a plan in place will make you more confident in any situation because you will rarely be caught off-guard.
The more prepared you are, the more control you can exert. For example, if you recently moved to a new apartment, create a strategy for what you would do if a stranger approached you on your way home, if an ex-boyfriend was suddenly at your building entrance or if someone broke into your room. Give emergency phone numbers to your friends and family and locate the nearest police station and hospital.
How to Buy the Right Pepper Spray
Keychain Pepper Sprays are easily carried and accessible since you can have your keys in your hand to and from your vehicle or residence.
If you are planning on carrying a Pepper Spray unit while you exercise (such as walking, jogging, bicycling) you might want to consider a Pepper Spray with a belt clip. These are easily accessible if surprised by an attacker while you are out and about.
For home or auto use, there are Several Larger Pepper Spray models that contain more chemical and can be available to you whether you are on a long road trip or your vehicle breaks down.
If you would rather carry Pepper Spray in a Covert Canister, the Pepper Pen, Lipstick Pepper Spray or Pepper Pager are perfect disguises for hiding the Pepper Defense Spray in plain sight.
How to Use Pepper Spray
First of all, your Pepper Spray will not be effective unless you are aware of your surroundings and attacker.
It’s important to pay attention to what is going on around you and always keep your Pepper Spray close by.
Be aware of the criminal who is looking for an easy target or is acting suspicious.
When approached by an attacker, place the Pepper Spray in your dominant hand.
Keep your non-shooting hand stretched out in front of you to keep distance from the attacker.
Aim the Pepper Spray towards the attacker’s face while moving backwards away from them.
At the same time yell ‘HELP’ or ‘RAPE’ as loud as you can so that attention is immediately diverted to your situation.
Continue utilizing the Pepper Spraying or be ready to Spray again until the attacker has stopped advancing.
Then at the first chance get away from there as fast as you can.
Contact the police immediately……..
Definition of Pepper Spray
Pepper Spray is an aerosol spray used for Self Defense.
Pepper Spray is a Defense Spray that consists of a concentrated agent injected into a canister and sprayed in either Stream, Fogger or Foam by Aerosol.
The concentrated agent is Oleoresin Capsicum. Oleoresin Capsicum is extracted from chili peppers and is the chemical that gives peppers their hot quality. That is why it is called Pepper Spray.
Oleoresin Capsicum is known as “OC” for short. That is why Pepper Spray is commonly referred to as OC Pepper Spray.
Mace is a brand name that carries a registered trademark owned by Mace Security International. Mace originally marketed a particular Tear Gas Self Defense Pepper Spray.Mace brand Defense Pepper sprays either contain OC Pepper Spray, Tear Gas or Both.
Our Company Self Defense Technology Sells BOTH.. Reference Our Home Page Above..
How is Pepper Spray Made
Pepper Spray is derived from hot peppers. The oils are extracted from the HOT Peppers using a high-pressure process. This process leaves you with the active ingredient in Pepper Spray known as Oleoresin Capsicum, or “OC.” OC is a reddish-orange, oily liquid, insoluble in water.
The pure Pepper extract is then diluted with an inert ingredient that reduces the “hotness” of the extract to get it down to a useable level for Pepper Spray.
What is Tear Gas?
There are three major chemicals used as Tear Gases: CS, and CN and CR
The first two are CS and CN, short for orthochlorobenzalmalononitrile and chloroacetophenone, respectively.
A third, code named CR (dibenz(b,f)-1,4-oxazepin), has not come into civilian use.
Both CS and CN tear gas are synthesized chemicals known as lachrymators.
A lachrymator is a substance that produces profuse tearing.
At standard temperature and pressure, these chemicals are actually white crystals with fairly low vapor pressures, not gasses, and they are not very soluble in water.
In order to disperse them, they are suspended in a liquid carrier and aerosolized.
Thank Goodness We Are Through With Chemistry Class Above
Pepper Spray vs. Tear Gas
Pepper Spray is not Tear Gas and Tear Gas is not Pepper Spray. But both can be used as a Defense Spray.
Two important differences between Pepper Spray and Tear Gas are: Tear Gas is an irritant and therefore its effectiveness relies mainly on pain compliance. Pepper Spray is an inflammatory agent.
The response to contact with Pepper Spray is involuntary which makes Pepper Spray a very effective weapon against drug or alcohol impaired assailants or animals that may not respond to pain.
Tear Gas has a high level of toxicity and OC Pepper Spray is totally non-toxic.
As Doug Lamb writes in “Tactical Use of Defense Sprays” - When a person is sprayed with OC pepper spray, two things happen instantly.
First, the person’s eyes clamp shut hard. Not only that, but if that person does manage to force his eyes open, the person still cannot see because the OC dilates the capillaries and causes temporary blindness.
Second, an immediate fit of uncontrollable coughing doubles the person over because the OC causes instant inflammation of the breathing tissues, restricting all but life support breathing.
An assailant who is sprayed with OC stops what he is doing and stops what he is thinking. This is true even for those who are drunk, on drugs, or psychotic.
We Sell Doug Lambs Book “Tactical Use of Defense Sprays” Reference the Index on any of OurWeb Pages
We Highly Recommend the Booklet “Tactical Use of Defense Sprays.”
This 32-page booklet is available in our Pepper Spray section.
It teaches on How to Select the Proper Defense Pepper Spray.
How to carry Pepper Spray……
How to Shoot and Fire Pepper Spray……
What to do about using Pepper Spray on Multiple Assailants……
Pepper Spray for Date Rape Protection…….
Using Defense Pepper Sprays against Guns and Knives…..
Home Tactical use and much, much more about the realities of protecting yourself with Defense Pepper Sprays.
Doug Lamb is a Nationally Recognized Self Defense Expert…
All Pepper Sprays Are NOT the Same
No, NO, NO, NOT all Pepper Sprays are not the same.
Pepper Sprays are rated in two ways:
Percentage of Oleoresin Capsicum in the agent itself,(WILDFIRE 18% Pepper Spray)and the “Hotness” of the spray, which is measured in Scoville Heat Units (SHU’s)(WILDFIRE 18% Pepper Spray is 3 to 4 Million).
The percentage of OC has nothing to do with the SHU rating, and vice versa.
The Percentage of OC is important.
The SHU rating should be taken into account the most.
For Example, a Pepper Spray with 2,000,000 SHU’s is twice as hot as a Pepper Spray with 1,000,000 SHU’s.
2,000,000 SHU’s is a substantial rating for an effective Pepper Spray. Wildfire 18% is even Higher at 3 to 4 Million SHU’s.
The Physical Effects of Pepper Spray
Pepper Spray has four physiological effects that may be experienced: Eyes - Tearing, Involuntary Closing or Complete Closing Due to Dilation of the Eye Capillaries.
Eyes will appear red/bloodshot for 30 to 60 minutes. People wearing Eyeglasses or Contact Lenses will be Equally Affected.
Respiratory System - Immediate Inflammation, including swelling of the throat lining which can restrict the airway size. Respiratory functions return to normal within 10 to 45 minutes. The airway will be open enough to allow for sufficient oxygen flow for survival.
Due to the reduced airway flow, the person will probably not receive enough oxygen to continue fighting or other sustained physical exertion. Temporary paralysis of the larynx.
Uncontrollable Coughing, Retching, and Gasping for Air with a Gagging Sensation in the Throat.
Effect on the skin - Inflammation of the exposed skin with a Burning Sensation. Effects on muscle coordination - Pepper Spray exposure may cause a person to lose balance due to the effect of Pepper Spray on Vision.
SPECIAL NOTES FOR THE PROPER USE OF PEPPER SPRAY
Test your Defense Pepper Spray every 90 days.
First go outside and determine which direction the wind is blowing.
Remember to always stand upwind from the direction you are spraying.
Depress the firing mechanism for ½ second.
This test should be performed upon purchase and every 90 days after that.
Be aware that every time you test your Pepper Sprays you reduce the contents of the canister.
If you are using a key chain model and you test regularly you will need to replace the unit every 9 to 12 months if you follow the recommended testing procedure above.
Most Pepper Sprays have an expiration date stamped on the canister, usually 3 to 4 years from the time of manufacture.
Although the spray life is indefinite it does start to lose potency over time.
Any use of the Pepper Spray beyond the expiration date is highly unadvisable.
We strongly advise you to replace your Pepper Spray long before the expiration date.
That way you are always assured of the potency of the Pepper Spray.
Take your old Pepper Spray to a safe place and target practice with it.
Become familiar with how far it will spray, how to unlock it, etc.
When practicing with your Defensive Pepper Spray, be aware of air movements and wind patterns and be very careful not to contaminate yourself.
Self Defense Technology has a LARGE INVENTORY of Self Defense PRODUCTS.
Please visit our website at www.self-defense-technology.com or call our office (817) 763-0523 for any questions you may have.
Trust your instincts. If something feels wrong. Something probably is WRONG.
Be Aware of your Surroundings.
Look Confident
SHOW YOUR ANGER, not your fear, if you are attacked.
You have the right to defend yourself and this includes SELF DEFENSE Protection items such as PEPPER SPRAY, STUN DEVICES, PERSONAL ALARMS, and OTHER PROFESSIONAL Self Defense products.
www.self-defense-technology.com
Developing Security Awareness is nothing more than learning to FOCUS on your Safety at those times when you are even slightly vulnerable.
Please visit our web site to see our LARGE INVENTORY of Self Defense Products or call our office (817) 763-0523 for any questions you may have.
SPECIAL NOTE: The number ONE rule in Self Defense is that it is always better to be judged by 12 than carried by 6.
Sincerely
