Pepper spray is a widely recognised non-lethal deterrent that can be used for self-defence, ultimately reducing the risks of assault for both women and men.

Currently its ownership, carry and use by common citizens is banned under Section 5(1)(b) of the Firearms Act 1968. Pepper spray in the UK carries the same legal penalties as carrying a gun does. However our aim in writing this petition is to begin the process to change that by making Pepper spray legal for 18 year olds and over. The use of pepper spray is currently legal in Italy, America, Spain, Russia and others.

On March 11th, when the news regarding the missing Sarah Everard was trending on twitter, women flooded to the social media site to share multiple experiences of having felt vulnerable in public. Everard’s story caused an outpouring from women shaken up by the disappearance, that unfortunately they related to. Taking to sites like twitter to share their own experiences of abuse and sexual harassment that they have in come across in their day to day lives.

It is considered the norm for women to take safety precautions in their lives out of fear. Examples of female hyper-vigilance include sticking to well-lit streets, avoiding empty streets, speaking on the phone as a deterrent, using keys as a makeshift weapon, and wearing comfortable shoes in case they need to run. In 2021 this is simply unacceptable and does not reflect the modern values the UK stands for.

Sarah Everard, like many women, took safety precautions on her way home and yet still went missing. Perhaps a preventative measure like pepper spray could have changed that.

Pepper spray causes immediate closing of the eyes, irritation of the eyes to cause a burning sensation, pain, and temporary blindness. The duration of its effects depends on the concentration of the spray; the effects last approximately 30 minutes. Using pepper spray against an attacker can significantly increase the victim's chance of getting to safety without causing severe harm. 

Twitter user Emma Kennedy tweeted on March 10th “When #notallmen is trending higher than #saraheverard, do you see the problem?” This tweet addresses the societal issue within our country regarding women’s safety and how their pleas fall on deaf and ignorant ears. Unfortunately attitudes like this only distract from the issue at hand which is that sexual harassment is very prevalent in the UK.

It is this public response regarding such an upsetting issue that I am writing this petition. If the blame always falls on the victim, even though it is never their fault, I believe it is up to the government to help protect women and men by giving them the tools to prevent their worst nightmares of being assaulted from coming true. If a prevention tool like pepper spray was available maybe innocent people like Sarah Everard wouldn’t be missing.

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