Most people have heard of pepper spray, but do you know how it works, or what exactly is inside the can that you are carrying?
All pepper sprays are not the same. They are rated in Scoville Heat Units (SHUs), just like very hot peppers. This measurement is directly related to how effective the pepper spray will be. Most pepper sprays currently available have a rating of around 2 to 3 million SHU. A very hot habanero pepper is close to 2 million SHUs, for comparison. The higher the SHU, the hotter the spray, although any of the commercially available pepper sprays should be plenty to stop an attacker.
Pepper sprays come in a variety of effectiveness ratings. Most are designed to stop humans, while others are rated for dogs or bears. Read "How pepper spray works"..