Sunday, 2 June 2013

By Tyresha A Moncriepe


I was reluctant to keep the Wildfire pepper spray I got from Sammy. My closest buddy swore it was a lot more effective at repelling assailants, and he talked from experience. While it is non-lethal just like all defense sprays, its effects are obviously a lot more intense.

The eyes respond first the minute exposed to pepper spray. This clamps shut as a result of pain. A burning feeling on the skin adds to the discomfort. Breathing is affected, leading to uncontrollable coughing. All these are momentary reactions, and wear off within less than one hour. Self defense spray doesn't cause long-term damage.

I did appreciate the size of my very own pepper spray early on. This is tiny at 2 ounces and fits within my own pocket, or my hand if I decide to carry it. That means better handling whenever I need to fire the spray.

Even though it has just several bursts, a small defense spray provides the additional advantage of surprising the assailant because it can be hidden easily.

It was the spray strength which worried me, however Sammy assured me the 18% pepper concentration only meant I could spray much less but still get a faster reaction. The higher the pepper formulation, the stronger the Scoville Heat Units (SHU) rating is.

The SHU is a way of measuring just how hot the pepper formulation is. When it is within the millions (2 or 3 million), it's not surprising to hear screams of pain once the pepper grains penetrate the skin.

Even when sprayed on coming from a range of ten to fifteen feet, the target will feel the total effects of oleoresin capsicum, and will give up any thoughts of hurting you.

I have practiced using the Wildfire spray, and wish I can become that alert and quick when I need to make use of it to fight off an opponent. Sammy said to remember that using the spray is meant to buy time so I can run to safety.




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