Students may carry pepper spray for self-defense, according to the UC Berkeley Campus Police website, which includes information about first-aid tips for direct exposure to pepper spray and tear gas: Jake Wayne of Livestrong.com also has tips on how to safely remove pepper spray. One version of the video of UC Davis campus police dousing protesters with pepper spray has almost 1,800,000 and counting views on YouTube. What to do if you get bear spray on your SKIN: Remove yourself away from the site of deployment. Deborah Blum writes about the science of pepper spray in her blog Speakeasy Science. Non-oil based soap. Sign up for our daily newsletter. But with repeated exposures, studies find, there can … Pepper spray is a most distressing to experience when sprayed directly in the face. Some of these chemicals can have serious cardiac, respiratory and neurologic effects when inhaled in high doses. Signs That Your Dog Has Been Sprayed With Pepper Spray. If it contacts the eyes it causes automatic closing of the eyes due to the intense pain. Remove pepper spray from your wall using non-oil based soap. Most common is a burning sensation on the area affected with the spray. There is no immediate cure for pepper spray exposure, but people can often reduce the duration and intensity of the symptoms by: moving into an area with fresh air, if possible flushing the affected area with lots of water to wash away the contaminants avoiding using soap around the … However, the effects of the gas usually are temporary. If only on hands from chopping peppers, fingers may be soaked in oil. Breathe out gently through your mouth after each spray. You cannot die on inhaling only a pepper spray. What the Health Effects of Pepper Spray Are and How to Treat Them. This weekend, two campus officers and the campus police chief at UC-Davis were put on administrative leave after a video captures the two officers dousing seated Occupy protesters on the campus with pepper spray. As Deborah Blum explained, and you can see in this chart, “commercial grade pepper spray … Or just wait it out. And what's the best way to treat it? She cites a 2004 study, Health Hazards of Pepper Spray, which found that high doses of some of the chemicals in pepper spray can produce respiratory, cardiac and neurologic problems, and even death. Nowadays, he said there more concerns about people with asthma or the pressure from the spray damaging a person’s eye or someone suffering an injury or even dying after being incapacitated. Wash your hands with soap and water immediately after using the spray. Leave it on area for 5 or 10 minutes then wash off with soap and water. Tear gas (e.g., CS, CR, Mace, pepper spray) is used to control riots, disperse crowds, and subdue individuals. In some cases, pepper spray will also eventually numb the skin causing the effects to subside. After all, it is just the “heat” from peppers. What a person should not do is use an oil-based soap -- that makes the chemicals stick to the skin even more. Flush the affected area with cool water either from the tap or a garden hose. Can repeat this several times if needed. Self-defense pepper spray. As in you could eat it. Capsaicin, one of the five (5) major capsaicionids which provides the active ingredient within pepper spray, is also commonly used in sports creams to temporarily relieve, reduce or numb muscle pain. It is frequently being used during Occupy protests nationwide. A fan can also be used. If exposed, you should remove your clothing and rapidly wash your entire body with large amounts of soap and water. You can expect relief from most of the symptoms within a … Before you know it you are inhaling water like air, hoping to counteract the effects of this pepper. The most important thing is to get the pepper extract off your body. Set up your rig in advance to make sure you have all the correct fittings. “Foggers have particles that are fine. The president of the University of California system said he was “ appalled” at the images. Inhalation: Get away from area where pepper spray was released. Do not use salves or greases on exposed area because it will trap tear gas particles or OC resin onto the skin. Aim the nozzle away from the middle of the nose. If you would have to pull clothing across you face, seriously consider cutting the clothing off with scissors instead.". Do this for a couple of times. video of UC Davis campus police dousing protesters with pepper spray. Active Self Protection Extra Recommended for you 8 You also experience a feeling of suffocating if you inhale Mace and it can cause a person to be very vulnerable and dependent, resulting in … Homemade Saline: Mix two (leveled) teaspoons or 10 grams of table salt per liter of water. Points 8 through 10 do require further explanation. Pepper spray is legal for use in most states by anyone over age 18 who is not a convicted felon. Although the spray’s strength depends on the manufacturer, the Scientific American said that on the Scoville scale, which measures a pepper’s heat, pepper spray ranked hotter than the cayenne and the habanero. © 2020 ABC News Internet Ventures. It cannot be a primary cause of death but it can contribute to the factors and mix and match with them that could be a reason of d eath of a person. Then, find some water to rinse your eyes out with. Less Lethal Self Defense: OC Spray (Pepper Spray) | Active Self Protection Extra - Duration: 10:04. Usually, the body repairs this kind of injury fairly neatly. If you wear contact lenses, remove them carefully once hands are thoroughly clean. And this means that pepper sprays pose a genuine risk to people with asthma and other respiratory conditions. Pepper spray is only effective if you aim for the face and make sure a sufficient dose hits the eyes and gets inhaled; Pepper spray does not incapacitate assailants like electric control weapons do. Busco says the pepper spray covered his face and mouth, meaning he could not avoid inhaling it unless he stopped breathing. If "his " chest is hurting or feeling tight, like it's hard to breath, he needs to get to the hospital NOW. Kaminiski said the pepper spray used on the UC-Davis protesters appeared to be more of a mist or fog. Remove any clothing that has residue from bear spray. With the patient lying on their back the nasal cannula rests on the bridge of the nose so saline flows continuously over the patient eyes. Clothing which is contaminated with tear gas should be removed immediately and, if indoors, placed in a sealed plastic bag or container. He said members of law enforcement had told him they could still feel the burning sensation for a couple of days and that even a shower could irritate the skin over again. Pepper spray derives from a chemical found in peppers, called capsaicin. It's important to remember this - all effects are temporary. An ABC News staffer suggested also sucking on half a lemon to relieve the effects of inhaled pepper spray. This post was originally published in "State of Health," KQED's new health blog. Apply vegetable or cooking oil to the skin. Blum writes: Research tells us that pepper spray acts as a potent inflammatory agent. The more worrisome effects have to do with inhalation – and by some reports, California university police officers deliberately put [pepper] spray down protestors throats. 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