Is Pepper Spray or Mace the Best Buy?

What Is Mace?

First off, Mace is a brand name of Mace Security International. The word Mace has become generic like Kleenex is for facial tissues. Mace is a variant of tear gas and is made by several companies. Tear gas is made from two chemicals called CN and CS. Tear gas is a popular crowd control agent or for removing people from buildings. It causes irritation to the nose, eyes, throat and lungs. Chemical Mace makes a person feel like they can't catch their breath.

Mace turns partially to a vapor when it is released and consequently doesn't need to be in direct contact with the assaulter's face for it to work. If the vapor blows into the assailants eyes and nose the effects will be accomplished. Nevertheless, because most vapors can be avoided for a while by holding your breath and closing your eyes tightly or until the wind disperses the spray. Pepper spray doesn't emit fumes and doesn't disperse with time. But, it must be sprayed on to the aggressor's face to be effective.

Mace requires from five to 30 seconds to act and this could give the attacker time to grab you and/or the mace. The effects of mace lasts longer than the pepper spray and may endure for several days. When the pepper spray has been washed off, its effects are short-lived.

Chemical Mace is regulated more rigorously than pepper spray and is unlawful in some states.

What Is Pepper Spray?

Pepper spray is a chemical called OC (Oleoresin Capsicum). It is an oil-based product made from hot peppers. It is categorized as an inflammatory chemical. It causes inflammation of the eyes, nose and throat immediately upon skin contact.

Pepper spray will bring down a attacker that's on drugs or intoxicated. Mace might not have an effect on assailants that are drunk or high. A one-second blast of pepper spray into an attacker's face will typically disable a person for fifteen minutes to one hour. The pepper spray causes profound coughing, nausea, dilation of the eyeballs inducing temporary blindness. The membranes in the attacker's nose and throat will swell up to the point where they can scarcely breathe.

These responses to pepper spray are entirely involuntary and the attacker can't control the reaction. Nonetheless, the level of the response is dependent upon a persons tolerance to inflammatory agents. A few people have a greater tolerance than other people have and may need to be pepper sprayed a couple of times before becoming incapacitated.

Pepper sprays are used extensively in law enforcement and are nonfatal. They are legal in most states. Some state regulate the use and ownership of pepper sprays. You should check with your local police force to ascertain if there are regulations and what they are.

Like any self-protection product there are some limitations and consequently should be just one a few personal protection devices. It may take 3 or 4 seconds for the pepper spray to work. You want to be prepared for the assailant to attempt to take it from you. If you're outdoors, rain and/or wind can dilute the effects. If the wind is blowing your way, you may end up being sprayed as much as the assailant.

Perhaps I Had Better Get Both.

This is now possible in one product known as Triple Action Mace? from Mace Security International. Triple Action Mace? is a combination of the pepper spray's OC and CN from mace. It also contains a UV Marking Dye that can be seen with a black light when the police apprehend the attacker. The combined effects are annihilating and quick. The pepper spray is quick acting and automatic and the mace keeps the attacker incapacitated longer.

The invention of Triple Action mace solves the all problems of mace and pepper spray except for the wind direction.