Every day we hear of assaults and attacks on hapless innocent people. These people have very little to protect them. More and more women today are single than in any other generation previous. It causes me to tremble to think about the fact that there are women out there that you know and care about that are probably on the crosshair of some criminal.

If you are a single woman and would feel comfortable with some added protection while in the comfort and privacy of your own home, you may want to consider purchasing non-lethal self-defense tools. No tool can guarantee safety. But these tools will give you some measure of security as you know that you can do something.

Thank God there is the pepper-spray that is a legal defense mechanism that you can use to protect yourself. Pepper spray is easy to use, it is affordable, and most importantly, it is an extremely effective tool when it comes to self-defense. Pepper spray has been widely used by law enforcement agencies to control riots, enraged animals, or aggressive criminal suspects. Now it is available on the market for personal self-defense that anyone can use.

Pepper spray is also easy enough to carry around in a purse, handbag, or even in your coat pocket. Pepper spray has almost become essential for the young woman as part of her purpose or person.

The way that pepper spray will provide self-defense for you is that it contains a chemical compound that will subdue and incapacitate any attacker you should come in contact with. The most effective means of using this self-defense tool is if possible, spraying it directly at your attacker's eyes.

When you do this, mucus membranes will become inflamed and your attacker's response is to close their eyes and they may even lose their vision temporarily. Pepper spray also contains agents that will create breathing restrictions for your attacker if the spray has a high concentration. You do not need the 45 minutes that the effect of the spray lasts. You just need to get back to safety at the soonest.

When it comes to self-defense, nothing is ever enough, after all you are protecting your life and limb. Personal alarms are also a very effective self-defense tool, and these can be used in conjunction with pepper spray. These often come in the form of small key rings or remote devices that can easily be tucked in a purse or coat pocket.

If you find yourself in a high-risk situation where danger is imminent, you can press a button on your personal alarm that will sound an alarm and possibly disarm or scare away your attacker. Shouting "Fire!" also seems to attract a lot of attention. And the last thing that your assailant wants is to attract attention.

If basic methods of personal safety do not work you should try to incapacitate your assailant, probably by spraying them. You only need enough time to get away. Pepper spray is one of the most popular non-lethal tools. It is legal all over the US and elsewhere too. But it is your responsibility to check out the latest regulations before possessing or using it.