About Pepper Spray
The active ingredient in Pepper Spray is OC (Oleoresin Capsicum). Other ingredients are inert and are used only to hold the OC in solution. The OC solvent can be either oil or water based. Oil based solutions are superior because OC is oil-soluble, so the tendency for the active ingredient to separate out and settle to the bottom of the container is greatly reduced.
Water based pepper sprays tend to separate if the container is not shaken regularly. Oil based and gel pepper sprays have the added advantage of not being easily rinsed away by water.
Although pepper spray is a powerful inflammatory, it is entirely non-toxic. Its effects generally last from twenty to ninety minutes. During this time anyone sprayed on the sensitive areas of the face will have more on their mind than continuing an attack. The pepper spray user - you - has ample time to escape a threatening encounter.
Pepper spray units have a range of from 6 to over 30 feet, depending on size and power. They can be fired several times.
The active agent, Oleoresin Capsicum, is extracted from cayenne pepper. OC is an inflammatory agent whose effects are not diminished on people under the influence of drugs or alcohol.
OC instantly irritates and inflames the mucous membranes of the eyes, nose throat and lungs. Capillary blood vessels in the eyes dilate immediately and forcefully causing temporary blindness. The victim of a spraying will have difficulty breathing as the nose and throat swell.
Breathing is not cut off, however. There is no danger of suffocation. Pepper spray causes no permanent damage, even though the immediate effects are severe and debilitating.
Pepper spray does not lose its potency as it gets older. Pepper spray units remain useful as long as the propellant charge is sufficient to force the spray out of the can.
The strength of pepper spray is measured on what is called the Scoville Scale. The percentage of OC that you see on the label of a pepper spray unit does not necessarily correlate to strength or effectiveness. A more important indicator of pepper spray strength is percentage of capsaicinoids and SHUs, or Scoville Heat Units.
The Scoville Scale was developed by the pharmacologist William Scoville in 1912. His method involved having a panel of tasters rate the hotness of the tested compounds. The Scoville Organoleptic Test was used to determine the temperature of peppers and compounds made from them.
Today, High Pressure Liquid Chromatography or HPLC provides a much more accurate determination of Capsaicinoid % and SHU. Pure capsaicin has an SHU rating of 16,000,000.
OC is effective against all attackers; even those who cannot feel normal levels of pain because of drug or alcohol consumption. Pepper spray is also an excellent deterrent against hostile animals.
