Pepper spray

Some spray comes from hot peppers.

It uses a part of the pepper that stings. This sting makes eyes close tight. It can also make it hard to breathe.

This happens so people can stay safe. It helps people escape from danger. People use it to stay safe from bears too. The sting does not last forever. It usually goes away in a short time. Most people feel better soon.

Pepper spray is a tool used for self-defense. It is also used by police to control crowds.

The spray contains a chemical called capsaicin. This chemical comes from hot peppers.

To make the spray, makers extract a resin from the peppers. They call this oleoresin capsaicin, or OC for short. They mix this OC with water and use pressure to make an aerosol spray.

When the spray hits a person, it causes many changes. It irritates the mucous membranes. These are the wet parts inside the eyes, nose, and throat. The spray makes the eyes close tight. It also makes it hard to breathe. People may feel a burning pain. This can feel like being set alight.

The effects usually last from 20 to 90 minutes. Some eye redness can last for a full day. To help, people can blink hard to make tears. Tears help flush the spray out.

Some doctors use saline to wash the eyes.

Pepper spray is a tool used to stop danger. It is a less lethal weapon. This means it can stop someone without causing permanent harm. People use it for self-defense against animals like bears or wolves. Police officers also use it for crowd control or to restrain people.

It works by causing temporary blindness and discomfort. This gives a person a chance to escape. It also makes it hard for a person to breathe for a short time.

The spray works because of a chemical called capsaicin. This chemical comes from the fruit of plants in the Capsicum genus. To make the spray, makers create something called oleoresin capsicum, or OC. They first grind the peppers into a fine powder. Then, they use a liquid called ethanol to extract the capsaicin. The liquid is evaporated until a waxlike resin remains.

This resin is then mixed with water and an emulsifier. Finally, the mixture is pressurized to create an aerosol spray.

Scientists and makers have studied pepper spray for many years. In the United States, the government regulates the strength of the spray. They look at the amount of CRC, which stands for capsaicin and related capsaicinoids. This is the part that causes the burning feeling. For bear spray, the law says it must have between 1.0% and 2% CRC. Personal sprays can be much lower, from 0.18% up to 3%.

Different countries even use different chemicals for their police officers.

There are many different ways the spray can come out. Some sprays use a cone pattern to spread widely. Others use a fog pattern or a stream pattern. Some versions use a gel instead of a liquid. This gel sticks to the target and is harder to wash away.

The spray affects the mucous membranes in the eyes and nose. This causes the eyes to close and the nose to run. Most people feel better within 20 to 90 minutes. However, eye redness can last for up to 24 hours.

If someone is sprayed, they might feel like they are being set alight. This is a very intense and scary feeling. It causes sudden pain in the face, nose, and throat. To help, the person can blink their eyes very hard. This helps make tears that flush the spray away.

Doctors or ambulances might also use a salt water solution called saline. While the spray is very strong, the effects are meant to be temporary. This allows the person to recover their vision quickly.

Pepper spray is a chemical tool used as a less lethal weapon. This means it is designed to stop a person or animal without causing permanent injury. It is used by police for crowd control and for restraining subjects. People also use it for self-defense against predators like bears, wolves, and cougars.

Because it causes temporary blindness and physical discomfort, it provides an opportunity for someone to escape a dangerous situation.

The active ingredient in pepper spray is a compound called capsaicin. This chemical comes from the fruit of plants in the genus Capsicum, which includes chili peppers. To create the spray, manufacturers first produce oleoresin capsicum, or OC. They begin by finely grinding the peppers into a powder. Next, they use an organic solvent like ethanol to extract the capsaicin from the powder. After the solvent is evaporated, a waxlike resin remains. This resin is the oleoresin capsicum.

To turn this resin into a spray, it must be prepared as an aerosol. An emulsifier, such as propylene glycol, is added to suspend the OC in water. This mixture is then pressurized to allow it to be sprayed from a canister. Some manufacturers use an alcohol base, like isopropyl alcohol, to make the product more penetrating. However, using an alcohol base creates a risk of fire if the spray is used near a taser.

Measuring the strength of pepper spray can be quite complicated. The United States federal government regulates the content of capsaicin and related capsaicinoids, known as CRC. CRC is the specific component that produces the burning sensation. Personal sprays vary widely, ranging from 0.18% to 3% CRC. Most law enforcement sprays contain between 1.3% and 2% CRC. For bear spray, the law requires a concentration between 1.0% and 2% CRC.

While many use the Scoville heat unit (SHU) scale to measure spiciness, it is not a reliable measure for aerosol sprays because it measures the dry resin rather than the diluted spray.

There are several different ways the spray can be dispersed. A cone pattern dispersion spreads the liquid in a wide area. A fog pattern or a stream pattern are also common. Some versions use a grenade gel compound. This gel is more accurate and carries a lower risk of blowback, which is when the spray drifts back toward the user. The gel also adheres to the target, making it harder to remove.

Other versions use a foam compound to deliver the irritant.

When a person is sprayed, the chemical acts as an inflammatory agent. It inflames the mucous membranes in the eyes, nose, throat, and lungs. This causes the eyes to close involuntarily and creates a sensation of intense, searing pain. Many people feel as though they are being "set alight." It also causes shortness of breath and a runny nose.

While the most intense effects usually last between 20 and 90 minutes, eye redness can last for up to 24 hours. Vision usually recovers within 7 to 15 minutes.

There are significant safety concerns and historical controversies regarding pepper spray. In the United States, at least 61 deaths were reported in connection with police use of pepper spray between 1990 and 1995. There have also been debates regarding positional asphyxiation, which is a lack of oxygen caused by a person's body position. Additionally, a study found that capsaicin is mildly mutagenic, and 10% of mice exposed to it developed cancer. In 1991, a study by the FBI was found to be tainted because an official had received payments from a pepper spray manufacturer.