Raid Panacea?

Awhile back one of my client's asked about using Wasp Spray as a means to defend yourself, ala mace/ pepper spray. This is kind of a new one on me - I'd never heard of anyone advocating this (note to self: try to actually watch some TV on occasion). So I had to do some looking. The first place was google, which led me to snopes.com. According to the rumor; a can of wasp spray shoots farther (20ft.) than pepper spray, its a powerful inflammatory that will instantly cause their eyes to shut, and will cause the esophagus, trachea and resp. system to contract and inhibit breathing. My interest was piqued. There 's even a video from a self-defense expert on the use of wasp spray. Interesting.

Despite, these greatly touted claims, I have a bit more empirical mindset when it comes to testing rumors like these. First of all let me go on record as saying I am not a fan of chemical irritants/ non-lethal sprays. I'll state my reasons here:

1. They are hard to deploy. While working hospital security I used to carry a can on my duty belt. I only needed to swivel it up to pull it off my belt and then flip up the velcro tab to fire it. Can be done with one hand; but not easily. Try carrying it in your purse (can you imagine carrying a wasp spray can in a purse? Better be a big purse!). Most people don't wear duty belts and thus the can goes somewhere else. Also, if you are outdoors and its raining - how effective do you think the spray will be?
   
2. Chemical irritants, contrary to popular belief, do not immediately incapacitate people. Thats utter BS. I have been sprayed with OC Pepper Spray during training classes and while it does hurt (there's reason cops call it "Liquid Hell"), I can guarantee that I can still run, shoot, and fight hand to hand. In fact this is standard practice on many police dept. physical entrance exams. Against a determined attacker (stalker, abusive spouse/ boyfriend, etc) - do not expect this to stop them. Have a back up plan.
3. Expect blowback. If you use a chemical irritant it is possible that it could blow back against you. Rooms with fans or being outdoors where there is wind can cause a deployed chemical to come back and hit you. Another reason why police are sensitized to pepper spray (stress inoculation anyone?). Fortunately, both Wasp Spray and Pepper Spray only require flushing with water to cut the effects. See below.
4. Chemical spray irritants are often used incorrectly. Police use it as a distraction prior to handcuffing the subject. Defenders often seek to use it to 'hurt' an attacker which is the wrong approach. Don't get me wrong I am not feeling sorry for the attacker. But the correct technique should be to use a chemical spray as a barrier or shield to keep someone away while providing you the opportunity to escape.

So that being said we're still back at square one; Is a can of Wasp Spray better than Pepper Spray. I'll believe the claim that it can shoot farther. No doubt about that. Wasp Spray is a bigger can, has more aerosol pushing it. Just make sure that there is nobody behind the attacker that you wouldn't want to send to the hospital.

Is worse, hotter, more painful? Hmmm good question. Pepper Spray is rated in Scoville Heat Units. Law Enforcement Grade Pepper Spray is between 500,000 - 5,300,000 (ouch). Unfortunately, nobody has tested Wasp Spray on the basis of being an irritant. Therefore we need to look at it from its chemical makeup; pyrethrin. This is actually beyond my research scope so I went and asked a hospital Pharmacologist who is also an expert in toxicology. Here is the gist of my interview:

1. Is wasp spray (pyrethrin) an acute irritant? Yes, the wasp spray could be an irritant to the eyes that can result in corneal damage and to the lungs resulting in asthma exacerbations, wheezing, shortness of breath, and sneezing. An anaphlyactic reaction can occur in hypersensitive pts. I'm not sure how it compares to pepper spray with regards to onset and severity of irritant effects. Depending on the brand of wasp spray, there may be carbamate insecticides, organophosphates and/or hydrocarbons. Both the carbamates and organophosphates could cause cholinergic toxicity depending on the extent of exposure.

2. If the person using were to experience either blowback (wind) or even the aggressor using it on them, what is the first aid to remedy exposure. For exposures to pyrethrins, both skin and eye exposures would require decontamination via flushing with copious amounts of water. For inhalation exposure, remove the pt from the source of exposure and give O2 if necessary. Typically systemic toxic effects do not occur unless large quantities are ingested since they are not well absorbed through the skin. If organophosphates or carbamates are present, the toxicity could be more significant such as bradycardia, vomiting, diarrhea, bronchospasm, respiratory failure, seizures, and increased secretions therefore the pt would need immediate medical care.

Because of the different compounds that could be in various wasp sprays, toxic effects could vary and I would not recommend substituting the pepper spray for wasp spray.

There you have it folks, the straight skinny from an expert. In a similar vein, I always tell people who take classes with us; no one technique alone is 100% effective. I'd say the same thing with pepper sprays and anything that you might use to substitute them. Your best tactic is going to be to fall back on the Principles that we work on in Fight Like A Girl (pay attention, stay with people, use barriers, get help, make space, and never fight on his terms). Hope this helps clears things up some.

Stay Safe!