Do you have a child in college? Do you live alone; know elderly relatives and single parents that live alone? The crime rate in the world increases daily. You must be prepared to defend yourself when the time arises. Do not be “one of those people” who say, “Not in my neighborhood…” or “I wish I had known…”  You cannot know when that time will be, so you must be prepared at all times.  Using OC sprays may not save your life, but may give you that “small window of opportunity” needed to escape your assailant.

A lot of women want to purchase pepper sprays, but are unsure about which type to buy.  I want to share a little information about pepper sprays so that you will be able to determine which OC spray is best for you.

Out of all the pepper sprays on the market, OC (oleoresin capsicum) is the best because it is an inflammatory, not an irritant. Instantly, when you are sprayed with OC spray, your eyes clamp shut and even if you could manage to open your eyes, you could not see because the OC spray dilutes the capillaries, causing temporary blindness.  You would also go into an uncontrollable fit of coughing because the OC spray causes instant inflammation of the breathing tissues, which restricts everything except life support breathing. The OC spray wears off in about thirty minutes and not side effects.

OC sprays range from ½ ounce up to 16 ounces. Most people choose to carry ½ oz – 4oz because they are easier to carry on your key ring or clipped to your belt. When deciding what works best for you, take into consideration on how quickly it is to access when needed. An assailant is not going to wait while you dig around in your bag or purse.

The range of most OC sprays is 6-8 feet, normally you only need spray one or two second burst. It is best that you do not take the spray out where the assailant can see until the last minute because the assailant may come up with a plan to disarm you. You can distract the assailant while accessing your OC spray by extending your non-spray hand out in front of you screaming, “Stop”! Leave me alone! If he makes the decision to move forward, spray him in the face when he is about six feet in from of you.

Another thing you want to be aware of when using pepper spray in the wind direction. If you are down wind and the wind blowing strong, you will want to wait as late as possible to use the OC spray. Do not be afraid of getting a little spray on you. It is better to endure a little discomfort than the pain the assailant has planned for you. If down wind, you may want to hold your breath and close your eyes for a second to prevent as much spray blowing back onto you.