Protect
Yourself with Personal Defense Products
Crime is rising. Desperate
young people wanting drugs seem to be
able to do anything to get their hands
on a few extra dollars. Your odds of becoming
a crime victim are escalating. What to
do?
One way to help even
the score is to arm yourself and your
adult loved ones with non-lethal weapons.
Below are the principle means of personal
self-defense:
Pepper Spray
Police and security guards
have pepper spray in their arsenal to
use at a moment's notice when a wrongdoer
becomes hostile. Pepper spray is known
as OC (Oleoresin Capsicum, a hot pepper
extract). It's ideal for individuals for
self-defense. You can choose among sprays,
gels foams and foggers. Most containers
are small canisters with a push top. Sizes
range from 4 to 67 grams. A spray toward
the head will cause tearing and a stinging
sensation. It will incapacitate an assailant
for at least a minute and that's enough
time to get away.
Mace was once synonymous
with tear gas. But today Mace is a brand
name that sells OC pepper spray units
to law enforcement and consumers.
Stun Guns
This small hand-held
device emits an electrical charge. High
in volts but low in amperage, it causes
the perpetrator to go down and stay down
long enough for you to run away. The attacker
will be in discomfort but that's just
the pain of muscles in contraction. In
several minutes all will return to normal,
but you will be long gone.
You can purchase various
voltages from 80,000 volts up to 900,000
volts. They come with a safety switch
and wrist strap and operate on 9-volt
batteries. Stun guns come in a dazzling
array of styles. The cell phone stun gun
remains popular; no one will know but
you that your cell phone (non-functional)
is actually a stun gun. Batons are also
big sellers. The end is the stun end but
the baton itself can be used like a nightstick.
Newer models double as a flashlight.
Taser
Tasers have been in the
news of late. Despite the sensational
stories, the Taser has gained widespread
acceptance among police departments throughout
most of the world. Like any police restraining
method, these should be used when appropriate
and should not replace other good non-lethal
security procedures.
A Taser is a type of
gun that when activated will quickly project
two jagged spurs each tethered to a thin
electrical line. These will attach on
the clothing of an assailant and cause
that person to go down. The restraining
method is similar to a stun gun although
more sophisticated and effective. The
gun transmits electrical pulses through
the wires and into the body affecting
the sensory and motor functions of the
peripheral nervous system. It has the
advantage of distance; you can be 15 feet
away from the attacker and still get off
your shot. With a stun gun, you must be
in contact with the person.
Studies have shown the
Taser to be safe when used as directed.
There have been some police reports of
deaths after Taser use, but follow-up
studies found underlying medical reasons
for most of the fatalities. These devices
must be respected. They should be used
and not abused.
The consumer public has
responded well to the latest Taser model,
the C2. These colorful and compact models
are lightweight and fit easily into even
small hands. The price is lower than the
professional models but the effectiveness
has not been compromised.
For those who are not
ready or unwilling to carry a firearm,
one of these non-lethal devices might
fit the bill. Remember, it's better to
have it and not need it than to need it
and not have it. It's inexpensive peace-of-mind
and who doesn't need more of that in today's
world?
*These items are meant
for adults. Keep out of the reach of children.
About the Author:
Gene Brenner oversees Stun Gun
Supply, an online supermarket of personal
defense items with a wide variety of pepper
spray, stun guns and Tasers. www.stungunsupply.com
