Posts Tagged ‘pepper spray use’

Will Your Pepper Spray Backfire? Tips for Safe and Effective Use

There have been countless times when pepper sprays have saved someone from a possible lethal attack. However, it’s not a perfect self-defense weapon. Like most weapons, it could be used against the user. If pepper spray is your self-defense gadget of choice, here are tips on using it effectively and making sure it won’t backfire:

Understand that it is not a lethal weapon
Pepper sprays are designed to incapacitate your attacker temporarily by irritating his/her nose, eyes and mouth. The stinging sensation can last anywhere from a very short 5 seconds to as long as a few minutes, depending on how the pepper spray was used and the amount dispersed.

The point of using a pepper spray is to distract your attacker and buy you time to escape. Once you use it and your attacker is temporarily blinded, you’re supposed to run away or yell for help, not stick around.

Make sure that you have easy access to your pepper spray can
Carry the pepper spray canister in belt holster or if you have to keep it in your pocket or purse, make sure you can reach it quickly and easily. When walking home late at night, for example, keep the canister in your hand or if it’s inside your bag or pocket, hold on to it. In case you need it, it will be easy to use.

Point the nozzle away from your face or body
Whether you’re carrying the canister or holding on to it, make sure that the nozzle is pointed away from you. You don’t want any accidental dispersals, especially not if you’re being attacked.

Familiarize yourself with the use of the spray
Pepper spray can only be a weapon if you know how to use it as such. Attacks can happen in the blink of an eye, which means you might not have enough time to be in the right position always.

To make sure the pepper spray won’t backfire, familiarize yourself with its feel so you know immediately in which direction the nozzle is facing. Practice on using it and try different situations of attack – frontal, rear, sides, etc. This will help train you to react in the best way possible to keep yourself safe.

Spray downwind
Always try to anticipate an attack. Be conscious of your surroundings – in this case, of wind direction. To make sure that pepper spray won’t backfire, avoid using it against the direction of the wind. If you do, the wind will carry the irritating substance to you and irritate you instead of your attacker.

lipstick pepper spray image