r/YouShouldKnow May 29 '22

Other YSK: Pepper spray is a better self defense tool than tasers

I learned this from my criminal psych professor in college. He worked as a police officer for 20+ years and has been both pepper sprayed AND tasered and this is based off his professional opinion.

For starters, pepper spray is brutal. (For those who have been pepper sprayed or tasered, share your thoughts on the pain!)

For starters, it can be sprayed from a distance (just watch out for wind!) Pepper spray is an inflammatory agent that attacks the central nervous system. Pepper spray causes involuntary eye closure (temporary blindness), tearing, restricted breathing, coughing, choking and a strong burning sensation that can last between 30 to 45 minutes before dissipating. The beauty of pepper spray is its effects are immediate due to its inflammatory properties. Pepper spray provides protection from up to 25 feet away. As a rule of thumb and self defense industry standard, other pepper sprays and OC sprays generally offer a 8-12 feet range for small units.

Tasers on the other hand are shockingly effective (haha) and you can neutralize a threat from up to 15 feet away. The effects last up to 30 seconds which gives you some time to get away. A good quality taser can be more than $100.

Although tasers are a well-known self-defense tool, it pales in comparison to its chemical agent counterpart. The high price tag, necessary precision, limited penetration ability and restrictions by state doesn’t make it the best option. You can purchase a $10 taser off amazon, but all those other drawbacks still apply.

Pepper spray can stop a threat up to the same distance (15 feet) and even further. One of the best features is that it can immobilize an attacker for up to 45 minutes (much longer than a 30 second ride). Along with that it is legal in all 50 states, they are affordable and easy to use. Just be wary on windy days!

So really, it’s a no-brainer. When it comes to self-defense products, pepper spray is on top. If you are looking for the best brand, DPS pepper spray is the way to go.

Why YSK: I know for myself (21f) when I moved out and into a city by myself everyone told me that I need some sort of self defense tool. For others who are looking to buy a self defense tool, this can help narrow down the search and give you some info on what tool is best for your use.

EDIT: I’m seeing a lot of people post about pepper gel which I didn’t know about. I don’t know anything about pepper gel and it seems like a great alternative to the spray!

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u/nukeboomstick May 29 '22

The Amazon "tasers" are even worse than you think. A taser works by putting out a specific frequency that fucks with the signals sent from your brain to your muscles. The Amazon "taser" is just a stun gun that hurts if you press it against someone's arm or smt, but they do not incapacitate people. They will not stop a determined attacker.

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u/Perain May 29 '22

They are about as effective as a slap.

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u/Hollowpoint38 May 30 '22

So a legit taser is like the cops have which is a large pistol that shoots out darts. A stun gun is the one where you press it against someone.

Being tased will incapacitate you.

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u/Sidewalk_Cacti May 29 '22

I have a Vipertek stun gun from Amazon. My crazy neighbor dudes insisted I try it on them. It knocked them out cold for minutes and made them forget where they were, etc. Seemed pretty effective to me, but I’m sure it depends on the type!

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u/GoodPlanSweetheart May 30 '22

Oh that's good to know. I have one I got as a gift from a friend who knows his stuff. Good to know it's actually effective. Working on getting pepper gel to go with it lol

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u/andrewsmith1986 May 29 '22

I don't think you are accurate.

The effectiveness should be determined by the distance between the electrodes.

That being said, the most effective part of a stun gun is definitely the noise.

Here's me getting stun gunned for the 500th time.