How dangerous is pepper spray?

[bemildred]

Studies suggest the use of pepper spray on peaceful protesters, such as the UC Davis students, is likely to make them more violent.

The controversy of the policing of student protests at University of California, Davis, has highlighted one of the more sinister trends in recent protests: the liberal or even enthusiastic use of weapons like pepper spray to force protestors to bend to the will of the police, even in the absence of any obvious violence or threat.

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The term "pepper spray" is grossly misleading. It conjures up images of chopping onions, or going to the bathroom after handling chillies without properly washing your hands first.

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In reality, calling the weapon used against UC Davis students pepper spray is like saying that Goldfinger threatened James Bond's crotch with a laser pointer. Deborah Blum has written a great article about this over at Scientific American (worth reading in full), in which she points out that at roughly 5.3m Scoville units – around a thousand times more potent than Jalepeno peppers – the spray carried by law enforcement officers is a "potent blast of chemistry."

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/the-lay-scientist/2011/nov/22/how-dangerous-is-pepper-spray

[valerief]

1. We know it when used with batons it causes miscarriages. nt

[dtexdem]

2. For one thing, it goes viral.

;-)

[GliderGuider]

3. +1

:rofl:

[awoke_in_2003]

4. The cops just keep pushing...

they are outnumbered at these events, and if they keep it up something is going to eventually happen.

[Kurmudgeon]

5. Like anything concentrated far beyond it's original form....very!

[saras]

6. How dangerous? I can kill you with one can, virtually guaranteed.

The easiest way is to hold your nose closed so you have to breathe through your mouth, while spraying it into the back of your throat.