HOW TO USE YOUR PEPPERSPRAY
Congratulations, you’ve completed the first step in taking control of your own safety! You’ve bought a portable canister of pepper spray. Just toss that in your car and your good to go forever now…wrong.
Many people mistakenly believe that their work is complete after they’ve made the initial purchase of pepper spray, but they’re really doing a disservice to themselves by not learning more about what their pepper spray can do to potential attackers and how they can effectively be using this great self-defense tool!
First, what’s inside that can you’re carrying around? Pepper spray is a chemical compound, with the most important component being the active ingredient capsaicin. Capsaicin is made by first extracting oleoresin capsicum (OC) from plants containing capsicum (i.e. chili peppers). The OC is then finely ground, and the capsaicin is extracted from that using a solvent, such as ethanol. These ingredients don’t sound pleasant and that’s exactly what makes pepper spray so great to use in the event of an assault.
What happens to your attacker when you spray them with this stuff?
The mucous membranes in the eyes, nose, lungs and throat become intensely inflamed.
Temporary blindness, breathing becomes difficult, along with a runny nose and coughing.
Burning sensation all over affected areas of the skin
These effects can last anywhere from 20 to 90 minutes!
What’s even more important than knowing how much power is packed into your little can of pepper spray is knowing how to use it and use it effectively!
ALWAYS have it handy when you’re anywhere by yourself, especially at night, walking to your car, etc. You never want to be caught in a scary situation where you’re busy fumbling around for it in your purse. Keep it on your car keychain or at the top of your bag in its own pocket so you can easily find it and have it in your hands already before leaving any building alone. For those that go running outside, I would suggest carrying a pepper spray that is attached to a hand sleeve, like this one here.
Hold the can properly with your index finger on the red trigger for a good grip and the canister firmly in your palm.
Flip the red trigger with your index finger from the left side safety position to the center “ready” position.
Hold down on the red trigger and spray your attacker from ear to ear, then eyebrows down.
After you’ve sprayed, do NOT stand there and admire your work (although tempting). Get back immediately and make space between you and the attacker.
On paper, sure, it looks like a lot of steps, but it truly isn’t hard to accomplish.
Always be aware of your surroundings
Don’t have your face glued to your phone
Be prepared for the unexpected.
My best suggestion, if you have some trepidation about using pepper spray correctly, is to also purchase a can of practice water spray and practice the above steps in your home or yard at a target. For even added accuracy and confidence, you can even purchase the Guard Dog AccuFire, a keychain pepper spray with built-in laser target like this one here. Remember, the key to protection is accessibility of your pepper spray!
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