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What is Pepper Spray?

Thinking of purchasing either mace or pepper spray? Before you buy pepper spray or mace, be sure to do your homework first. Your reasons for purchasing mace or pepper spray may be for home security or personal safety reasons. Perhaps you get out of work late at night and your car is parked in a dimly lit area. Or maybe there has been a recent burglary or aggravated assault in your neighborhood, and you want to be prepared should the criminal strike again. Whatever the reason, check the laws in your state on both substances.

Pepper spray is a lachrymatory agent - a chemical compound that irritates the eyes to cause tears, pain, and in some cases, temporary blindness. The average full effect of pepper spray lasts around 30 to 45 minutes, with diminished effects lasting for hours. It is alternatively known as OC spray (from "Oleoresin Capsicum"), OC gas, or capsicum spray. The difference between mace and pepper spray is that, unlike mace that is an irritant, pepper spray is an inflammatory agent.

While many seek pepper spray to use for personal safety reasons, in most cases police pepper spray is used in riot control, crowd control, and even in defense against dogs and bears. Extreme caution should be used while operating any kind of mace or pepper spray device.

The active ingredient in pepper spray is capsaicin, a chemical derived from the fruit of plants in the Capsicum genus (think of Chile peppers). Pepper spray is a non-lethal agent with long-term effects that have not been effectively researched. In very rare cases, pepper spray can be deadly. The American Civil Liberties Union claims there are 14 documented fatalities resulting from the use of pepper spray.

To measure the amount of capsaicin within pepper sprays, the High Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC) method is used. The hotness is measured using Scoville Heat Units (SHU).

Pepper spray is most often sold in canisters, but comes in many other forms as well. Various forms of pepper spray include pepper spray keychains, pepper spray pens, pepper spray rings, and pepper spray guns. The agent is packaged small enough to be carried or concealed in a pocket or purse.

Countries all around the world differ with their laws regarding mace and pepper spray usage. The 1972 Biological Weapons Convention banned international pepper spray for use in war, but did not ban it for internal security use.

Laws regarding pepper spray in the U.S. differ between states. Before you buy pepper spray, make sure it is legal to use in your state. For instance, in Massachusetts, pepper spray can only be sold to holders of firearm identification cards. In Michigan, pepper spray is legal only if it has less than two percent of the active ingredient in it.

Pepper spray continues to be a leading personal security product, used by individuals of all types. Even in states where pepper spray usage is legal, the sale of the substance is prohibited to minors. If you are over 18, and you find that pepper spray is illegal in your state, there are several other personal security products you can consider. Some of these products include personal security alarms, stun guns or stun batons, home security devices, and more.

Article Source: http://blisspublisher.com

Promark Safety is your source for home security, personal security products, and child safety, including pepper spray, personal alarms, voice changers, safety lights, and more. In business since 2005, owner Nick Muntimuri started selling stun guns, pepper sprays, and other self defense products because he felt there was a growing need for self protection, and in particular, family safety.

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