Pepper
sprays are chemical agents belonging to a category of police and military
equipment used for control and defense, depending on the need. They
in riot situations, as crowd control. They can also be used as self-defense
against human attackers, as well as animals like bears and dogs.
Pepper sprays are designed to be irritants to the eyes and breathing
passages. The active ingredient of the spray is capsaicin, which is
the substance found in chili peppers that causes the burning sensation
people feel when eating them. One who eats chili peppers will know not
to rub the eyes or touch anything before washing the pepper residue
off the hands because of how irritating it can be when the pepper oils
are transferred to other parts of the body.
Pepper sprays are intended to be harmful enough to diffuse a dangerous
situation without causing bodily injury to the target. However, there
have been extreme reactions to pepper spray such as temporary blindness
and even death in some rare cases. Different countries, and different
states within the U.S., have differing laws on pepper spray use. Check
the regional law enforcement to determine the local laws regarding pepper
sprays.