Tear gas and your personal safety

The next time you find yourself face-to-face with an attacker, give them something to cry about! Tear gas will make them think twice about attacking. Having a personal safety plan is one of the smartest things to do, and including tear gas as part of that plan is a smart solution to a tough problem.

Attackers are a greedy bunch, looking to cause harm take your wallet rather than to work as hard as you work for your money and dignity. When someone chooses a victim to attack they make that choice based on how painless they perceive the encounter to be. So when they pull out a weapon and start shouting threatening words, pull out the tear gas and make them change their mind about how painless their encounter will be!

What is tear gas?

Tear gas is an irritant and has been used by the military and riot police for decades. It is effective on large crowds. It causes stinging, watery eyes, and ultimately forces the person to close their eyes and rub them. It has worked for law enforcement and it can work to help maintain your personal safety was well.

Some people confuse it with pepper spray. Pepper spray is an inflammatory that causes the air passages to constrict and creates a burning sensation in the eyes. Tear gas, on the other hand can be just as effective, but does not cause the same level of physical reaction: just stinging, watery eyes.

When is tear gas appropriate to use?

If you expect to be in a situation where you’ll need to defend yourself in an enclosed space, it is possible that some of the tear gas might get on you. If this is the case, you’ll probably want to use the tear gas so that the effects are just as surprising to your attacker, but the “backspray” will not slow you down. Also, if you have a dog, tear gas might be a better option as well since dogs do not experience the effects to the same intensity that humans do. Or, perhaps you’re confident in your ability to defend against a single attacker, but against multiple attackers this might be a good solution.

Creating a personal safety plan for you and your loved ones should be a top priority. Identifying when potential risks may occur is vital in developing an effective safety plan. Including tear gas in that plan is an effective way to maintain that level of safety without any long term risks to yourself. Give the attacker something to cry about!