The Pharmaceutical Journal Vol 267 No 7174 710-713
17 November 2001

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Letters to the Editor

Onlooker

Pepper spray problem

From Mr T. N. R. Horsfield, MRPharmS

I read with interest "Onlooker's" suggestion of a pepper spray for self-defence (PJ, 3 November, p660). If he puts "pepper spray" into an internet search engine as I did, he will find over 63,000 references to this item.

In much of the world these sprays are readily available. On a recent visit to Europe I found them for sale in the village hardware shop. However, in this country they are classed as prohibited weapons and as such are not available to the public.

I suspect that even the carrying of a bag of pepper or fine sand with the intention of throwing this into the eyes of an attacker would render "Onlooker" liable to prosecution and if he used this "offensive weapon", a claim for substantial damages from the "victim" would be likely.

T. N. R. Horsfield
Sandbach,
Cheshire

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