The concerns over murder, terrorist attacks, suicides, and accidental fatalities when it comes to gun control and gun ownership have become more predominant than in the past. Scores of gun injuries are fatal, because when anyone decides to pull a trigger for any reason, the results tend to be permanent. Knives can be just as terrible.
Countless citizens prefer not to own something as lethal as a gun, but what recourse is there? You may be worried about your personal safety and the safety of those you love. What will happen if you have a daughter attending college who occasionally finds herself alone in a parking lot when a class ends in the evening? What will happen if your wife stays late at the office and leaves work when it is pitch black outside? What about your son who works nights at a local convenience store?
Should everyone carry a gun on their person, or are there non lethal self defense weapons for women, men, and young adults that are effective, legal, and easy to use? The answer is yes, and fortunately, there are several from which to choose.
Pepper Spray: Pepper spray is a surprisingly effective weapon, even more so than Mace. Pepper spray’s active ingredient is Oleoresin Capsicum. This is a painful derivative of cayenne peppers. It is not a chemical, nor is it flammable. However, it will immediately incapacitate an attacker for at least fifteen very excruciating minutes.
Pepper spray is considered an inflammatory agent. It will cause pain in the form of intense burning, temporary blindness, and nausea. It makes breathing difficult, but not impossible. Notably, it will stop an attacker who might be on alcohol or drugs. This is particularly important, because drugs like PCP can cause users to be extremely violent. They will also become incapable of feeling pain in some cases. As a result, MACE is unlikely to be as effective against drug addicts. On the other hand, pepper spray will work and debilitate anyone, even if they are high on powerful hallucinatory drugs.
Pepper spray requires only a one 1-second shot to disable an assailant. It is that potent and will immediately cause coughing and choking, the temporary loss of eyesight, and intense burning in the eyes and on the skin. Most cans of pepper spray can be found in local drugstores for under $20. Some have as much as 30 uses to them. There are certain states that outlaw the use of pepper spray, so check to ensure this is not the case in your state before buy the spray.
Security Stun Baton and Stun Guns: Stun guns are popular non lethal self defense weapons for women as well. They provide a powerful deterrent against would-be criminals and thieves. If necessary, they will debilitate a person with a relatively strong electric shock. They come in many different forms, including batons, belts, guns, and other prods. When purchasing any kind of stunner, note that it is not the voltage that is important. The measure of the shock intensity is in the amount of current, measured as amperes. An amount over 10 milliamps(mA) will definitely cause a severe shock. Anything approaching 100 mA will cause death if the person is not treated immediately. Stunners are almost as inexpensive as pepper spray, and depending upon the compartment itself, they can cost as low as $25 or as high as $80.
A Weapon that Blinds: A woman might not feel comfortable relying on a flashlight for self-defense, but there are some on the market that are so powerful, they will cause temporary blindness for anyone not wearing eye protection. The measure of brightness is lumens, and a light with500+ lumens will affectively to stop someone in their tracks. There are tactical flashlights that have far higher outputs of lumens, but then it becomes a question of size and function.
Consider choosing a flashlight that has a strobe as well. The settings give you a two-step approach to stopping your aggressor. First, the bright light will blind; the strobe light will further disorient the individual. You will find a variety of strengths and portability. The flashlights can cost as little as $12 or as high as $300. The latter are appropriate for military use as they come with as much output as 18,000 lumens.
America’s Favorite Pastime: Never underestimate the power of a strike. Most people have taken a swing at a baseball sometime during their lives. A Louisville Slugger is more than just a baseball bat. It can be a practical and effective weapon by which to protect yourself. Admittedly, it requires being closer to the aggressor than one would like, and the weapon has to be swiftly available and within your reach, but the wooden bat is guaranteed to take someone down if they are hit on the back of the head, on their spine, or the front or back of the knees.
In reality, any type of stick will work, including golf clubs, fireplace irons, and the like. One of the nicest benefits of using a bat is that it is not usually a target for a thief. Criminals will take your guns if they are able. Rarely will anyone think about taking the baseball bat that is leaning against your bedroom door as a preventative measure.
Bean Bag Guns: A bean bag gun may not be the first weapon you think of when it comes to self-defense, but these launchers are quite potent and will put anyone down quickly. Because they are guns and have the same appearance as the lethal versions, there is an intimidation factor that may preclude using the bean bag gun at all. At any rate, they will teach a painful, but un lethal, lesson.
The bags come in the form of little pillows wrapped in cloth. They are filled with a small amount of lead shot and can be fired from a 12-gauge shotgun, if you happen to own one. As the bags are released, they spread out to create a larger impact area, thereby knocking the wind out of a person but without causing any permanent damage or death. The guns are easy to use and are legal in all 50 states.
In fact, many police departments are using these guns instead of “real” firearms in order to prevent police shootings that result in deaths. Because of their simplicity of use, their extreme power, and the intimidation factor, many people believe that bean bag guns are one of the best non lethal defense weapons for women, even above baseball bats and pepper spray. The price of bean bag guns will vary between $16 to several hundred.
Campus Safety-Package Self-Defense Kits: Companies are now making products specifically designed for women’s self-defense. The styles are meant to be fashionable yet invisible. This happens because the items look like the things used by women every day. Most specialty kits will include a stun baton or a flashlight stunner. They have kubotan key rings to inflict small, but multiple, stab wounds and pepper spray in canisters resembling lipstick tubes. The drawbacks are that most of these “accessory” weapons must be used at lesser distances.
For example, the typical lipstick pepper spray will contain half an ounce, which is enough to stop an assailant, but it will only spray up to 6 feet. A few bad things can happen in instances where distance is a factor. An alert offender can take the weapon away from the victim before it is actually used. He could rush the individual before the spray is released. Alternatively, the close proximity might result in the pepper spray contaminating the victim’s eyes as well.
There is another item included in these kits that might be the best preventative measure yet. The packages contain small test strips that are carried in a container the size of a matchbook. The strips allow people to test their beverages for the presence of date rape drugs, like Ketamine and GHB, before taking a drink. There are twenty cards inside one pack, and they only require a drop of the drink to ascertain any risks. Using the test strips can make the difference between finding oneself in a dangerous situation and having a safe night out at a club or bar.
Tasers – Conducted Electrical-Weapons (CEW): Tasers are often used on television shows. An assailant confronts a police officer or citizen. The officer incapacitates the person by shooting two probes on to the attacker’s body. The probes remain connected to the Taser as the electricity travels through the two conductors (the wires). The weapon will stop the aggressor by causing involuntary muscle contractions and the inability to move.
Use of the weapon does not cause any residual effects. In truth, when electricity is no longer entering the attacker’s body, the individual will regain control of their body immediately. Given that Tasers are one of the better non lethal self defense weapons for women, it was surprising to discover that many cities and states prohibit their use or ownership. These include New York, New Jersey, and several others.
Guard Dogs: If you enjoy the company of dogs, consider adopting one to provide protection for yourself and/or to have as a readily available weapon. According to the FBI, the most common threat we will ever face is a home break-in. One burglary happens every 13 seconds in the United States. They usually happen during the day when people are at work or school and houses are empty, and they tend to happen more frequently in July and August.
Dogs as a whole are effective deterrents, regardless of their breed, because dogs can be noisy. The sound and sight of a large dog will definitely make a criminal think twice about approaching your house. Imagine the shock of coming face-to-face with an Akita or Rottweiler.
There are different types of dogs, though, that are tapped and formally trained to do specific work. Some dogs sniff out drugs. Others will identify the presence of explosives and firearms. Then, there are dogs who are trained to protect places or individuals. When it comes to protection, the first dogs that might come to mind are those that are military trained or the ones that work as security, or guard dogs. There are differences.
Guard dogs are trained to sound an alert first. It is a warning and the initial line of defense. If the threat continues to exist or makes an aggressive move, the dog will take a threatening stance and use a display of force. If that does not work, the dogs are trained to engage.
They will attack and bite. These dogs are extremely loyal and protective, and owners are unlikely to let you pet them. It is not that the dogs will bite your hand but because they become distracted. They are on duty, after all. The other kinds of dogs involved in personal protection are actually called alarm dogs, or watchdogs. Watchdogs sound the alarm to warn their owner of a possible threat. They will bark a lot, but they will not engage. Again, if you enjoy their company, large or small, dogs are probably the best non lethal self defense weapons for women and families.
Personal Alarms: People have grown used to the sound of car alarms going off, so they are largely ignored. A personal alarm is much louder than the typical ones we expect to hear, they are guaranteed to get people’s attention, and they will scare your assailant enough to make him run away. The alarm comes in the form of a keychain and uses batteries. If the batteries go dead, there is a whistle feature that provides backup in the event of an emergency.
It is activated by the push of a button, and the off position is concealed to keep the aggressor from deactivating the system. There are numerous makers of these personal alarms, and they are legal to carry in all 50 states. Moreover, the expense is minimal. The alarms start at $10 and rarely go over $30.
In addition to the weapons listed here, there are also passive ways to protect yourself and your loved ones. Home alarms and parking under bright lights are two ideas, but when you need to defend yourself, you want something that is quick and easy to use. You need something that will work, without resulting in a person’s death. Try any one of these products and ideas, and you will see that it is possible to feel safe without having to carry a firearm, knife, or any other deadly means of protection.