Pepper spray, or oleoresin capsicum (OC) can be very effective in helping someone out of a potentially dangerous situation, however possessing a canister of OC and using it improperly could cause more problems than solutions.
MOST IMPORTANT: No matter what type of OC spray you own, you must always first be aware of your surroundings.
Always have your pepper spray accessible to you in case you need it in an instant.
A defense spray is useless if it is in the bottom of a purse, or left in your vehicle.
PERSONAL EXPERIENCE: The thought that crime only happens at night or in a dark alley is a myth.
In fact, someone very close to me was Christmas shopping a few years ago in an upscale end of town at 2 o'clock in the afternoon.
She was pregnant and had an arm full of shopping bags.
Just having left a huge craft store, and headed to her vehicle, a man pulled up and was asking directions to the mall.
Before she could utter a word, he grabbed her purse (which was still on her arm) and started driving away.
He got away with the purse and she fell to the ground, but was otherwise alright.
The point is, that with an arm full of bags, and by yourself, it is not possible to practice smart self-defense.
There is no way to carry a pepper spray or other self defense weapon in this scenario.
So, in addition to learning how to use pepper mace spray correctly, we must always be aware of what we are doing and what is going on around us, even in broad daylight.
FINDING THE RIGHT PEPPER SPRAY: There are many useful tips you can find online about the use of oc sprays.
 But, when purchasing online, find a website that specializes in defense sprays and nothing else.
Also, look for a phone number that you can call to ask questions about the products.
A knowledgeable retailer will be able to help you decide which spray is best for you.
TRAINING CLASSES: Some local law enforcement agencies and self defense courses offer a self defense spray training class.
These classes can normally be taken in one day or less and can give you much more confidence in the use of the product you buy.
While it's recommended that anyone serious about self defense, whether it's utilizing pepperspray or learning to disable an assailant physically, consider a professional self-defense course, here are a few tips and facts in the proper use of defense spray.
SELF DEFENSE SPRAY PRACTICE: Most oc sprays have a shelf life of 2-4 years.
But as a conservative measure, it is wise to replace your canister once a year.
Then you can use your old canister of spray as a training device.
Find a picture online and print it as a full page.
Tack the picture up on a tree or a fence about head high.
Make sure to stand upwind of the target.
Then aim for the eyes and fire away.
Try about a 1-2 second burst at a time.
INERT TRAINING SPRAYS: There are inert training sprays available that you can shoot at targets or people for practice.
The water training sprays are just water in pressurized spray cans.
If you want a chemical-based spray, they are available as well.
The chemical-base is exactly like the pepper spray formula without the pepper resin.
Either of these can be used in real person pepper spray training scenarios or to shoot at targets.
COMMON SENSE TRAINING TIPS 1.
Avoid holding your arm straight out in front of you.
While at first this might seem the obvious way to frighten an attacker, "I've got pepper spray, don't come any closer".
It also allows the attacker the opportunity to knock your arm away, or grab the canister and "turn the tables'.
It is much smarter to take a step backwards, away from your assailant, giving you time to gather your wits, grab the spray and aim for their face.
2.
Yell "STOP", "HELP" or "POLICE"! Doing this will momentarily confuse your assailant and give you that much-needed 1 to 2 advantage.
While shouting may or may not actually bring help, it's that small advantage needed to raise your arm, take aim and spray the assailant in the face.
3.
Keep your eye on your target at all times.
While this will very likely be a fearful moment, keeping your eyes on your assailant allows proper aiming of the defense spray.
Once the spray is dispersed move quickly away from the situation and seek law enforcement help.
4.
Get away if at all possible; pepper spray is a deterrent, not a solution.
As you back away from your assailant, deliver the pepper agent in the direction of their face, using an approximate two to three second burst.
If the stream of chemical strikes your attacker, you will know immediately that you have the desired effect.
Use these valuable moments to vacate the premises and seek help.
Training Note: It is easy to practice these simple tips by buying a canister of inert training spray and setting up your own target.
But even better, with the training sprays you can practice on a real-life person posing as an attacker.
This way you will be able to gain more confidence if ever you need to dispense the real oc canister in a dire situation.
TYPES OF PEPPER SPRAY CANISTERS: Fogger: This type of spray canister is used for crowd control, multiple attackers, wild animals (such as bears) and situations where careful aim of the spray may be inhibited.
Caution should be utilized since blowback (contaminating the user) is very possible.
Foam: Imagine pepper mace spray with the consistency of shaving cream and you'll have a clear image of this type of disbursement.
Dispersed via foam will virtually eliminate the possibility of blowback, and easily disable your attacker, assuming the foam comes in contact with their face.
Foam agent works exactly the same causing the eyes to tear, breathing to become labored, and relief to be immediately sought.
Broken-Stream: The broken-stream canister allows you to disperse the spray-chemical even when your aim is not perfect, or there is more than one assailant.
While very effective you will use the contents of the canister more quickly.
Forced cone: This is the most widely used oc spray canister, it disperses a fine mist in an approximate 2 foot wide, by 8 to 12 foot pattern.
While few imagine being attacked in a dark alley or walking down the street, or even broad daylight, it's far better to be prepared, than victimized.
Having a canister of pepper spray is simply self defense insurance we hope you will never have to use.