Interesting perspective on pepper spray

This is a comment posted on this article “About Pepper Spray” by Deborah Blum from Speakeasy Science by a “MS Laura”. By the way the article is a very enlightening read, as is Blum’s response to Megyn Kelly’s “it’s a food product, essentially” remark on Fox News with Bill O’Reilly:  Fox News Food Products.  Anywhoha, moving right along.

As someone who has been through police academy, I have first-hand knowledge of what it feels like to be pepper sprayed (by the police grade stuff). We had to experience it to be certified to carry it in the field.

And as a former forensic toxicologist, I am also familiar with blood samples brought in of people who had collapsed and died after being pepper sprayed. Based on the cases I saw, all the deaths in these circumstances the people had been taking cocaine and been fighting with the law enforcement officers. The combination of the stimulant plus the adrenaline lead to what is known as “excited delirium.” Not one person had a history of asthma or other respiratory illness.

This is not to say that pepper spray is benign. I tell whomever finds out that I went through OC spray training that it is serious stuff and that if an officer tells you that you are about to be sprayed unless you comply with his/her orders, they’re better off doing what they say. I also had chemical burns for about a week on my chest where the spray dripped down my face.

I’m against police brutality, but I also know what it’s like to be on the other side, trying to restore order. Large groups of people are dangerous, especially those who feel they have nothing to lose.