If possible, where can I buy pepper spray?

[PeterF]

As a female, just out of interest how much harm would hairspray do if sprayed in an attackers face?

Try spraying some into your own eyes... Not recommended...
In Finland it could land you in prison..plus getting sued if you caused any damage to the attacker eyes...
Unless you had a witness to say that you were acting in self defence...The attacker could say "I was not attacking her..I just wanted to ask her the way..I claim that she was in panic/over reacted.... now prove me wrong....now I am almost blind... lots of Euro please....!"

[RA]

Unless you had a witness to say that you were acting in self defence...The attacker could say "I was not attacking her..I just wanted to ask her the way..I claim that she was in panic/over reacted.... now prove me wrong....now I am almost blind... lots of Euro please....!"

And sometimes even a witness may not be enough. Self-defense has to be...... something..... I don't know how to explain this. If you hurt the attacker more than he/she hurts you... you'll be in a lot of trouble. If someone like hits you, you can't hit back. They take turning the other cheek literally here.

[Ktulu]

I don't know how to explain this.

Reasonable force.

[doctorforsh]

also peper spray doesnt give you permenant blindness,,,,that would just be nasty!

read this its quite intresting,,there is a bit about pepper spray

Private ownership of Tear gas or Pepper spray is licensed for the purposes of personal protection, collection, training, or education

and you can get a permit for Pepper spray CO Spray,,but this all depends in the town you live in,,best to go into the local police station and ask them about it,,no harm in asking the police,,so if you do get caught with pepper spray you can atleast tell them mr policeman said you could/couldnt carry it etc!!

[Rosetta]

In Finland it could land you in prison..plus getting sued if you caused any damage to the attacker eyes...
Unless you had a witness to say that you were acting in self defence...The attacker could say "I was not attacking her..I just wanted to ask her the way..I claim that she was in panic/over reacted.... now prove me wrong....now I am almost blind... lots of Euro please....!"

That's strange, this was years ago but I know of an incident when a taxi driver sprayed tear gas into someone's eyes and no way was the said taxi driver accused or sued of anything, on the contrary (and yes, it was in Finland)...

[Dan]

Tear gas is a lot different than hair spray.

[Shazzer]

The thought of carrying a pepper spray has crossed my mind since I have started using a forest trail nearby to do my daily exercise. It's a rather quiet and isolated track and I've been feeling that having a weapon of some kind would make me feel more secure.

Generally, what are the stats of women being attacked or harrassed in Finland while jogging at such places? I know Finland is safe but how much precaution is needed without becoming paranoid?

I saw in Clas Ohlson battery powered alarm gadgets which you can set off. I suppose that would be a more "legal" option than pepper spray.

[Jason Wright]

As a female, just out of interest how much harm would hairspray do if sprayed in an attackers face?

Well, if combined with a lighter... portable blow-torch.

But I suppose that if one where to get hair-sprayed in the eyes, its is not fun. I've been pepper sprayed directly in the eyes and had severe chemical burns on my corneas.. My eyes were so screwed up that I couldn't open them the next day and it took a few weeks to see straight again.

Jason

[Gregor C.]

I've been pepper sprayed directly in the eyes and had severe chemical burns on my corneas..

Just out of curiosity, what on earth did you do to deserve a faith like that?

[karel]

As a female, just out of interest how much harm would hairspray do if sprayed in an attackers face?

Well, if combined with a lighter... portable blow-torch.

But I suppose that if one where to get hair-sprayed in the eyes, its is not fun. I've been pepper sprayed directly in the eyes and had severe chemical burns on my corneas.. My eyes were so screwed up that I couldn't open them the next day and it took a few weeks to see straight again.

Jason

I hope that was in training, and not on duty.

As for turning the other cheek...
I can't even hit out of self-defense? Who would actually NOT do that? Sounds more like US...

[Jason Wright]

I've been pepper sprayed directly in the eyes and had severe chemical burns on my corneas..

Just out of curiosity, what on earth did you do to deserve a faith like that?

We were just having some fun while training...I was in the US Marine Corps 1997-2001 (picture taken at MOD Complex Eastcote - Security Force Company London).

In order to be authorized to carry pepper spray, we had to try it out on ourselves first. Believe it or not, it was REALLY fun!

It was just the days after that sucked

[catfish78]

So no pepper spray, no mace, no OC spray. How about my pocket knife? Is that considered a offensive weapon? Am I allowed by Finnish law to carry?

[Oombongo]

So no pepper spray, no mace, no OC spray. How about my pocket knife? Is that considered a offensive weapon? Am I allowed by Finnish law to carry?

No you can't carry anything for self-defense. Attacker got more rights than you

I have a Stun Pen with 800,000 V. After knowing the "rights" of attacker, I locked in a safe place.

With a sufficient knowledge, anyone can make one home-made stun gun. However, it is pretty much illegal in Finland.

[karel]

I have a Stun Pen with 800,000 V. After knowing the "rights" of attacker, I locked in a safe place.

With a sufficient knowledge, anyone can make one home-made stun gun. However, it is pretty much illegal in Finland.

That's a not a self-defense weapon, that's a murder weapon.
The tasers have 50,000 V. What the hell do you want with 800,000 V?
That's going to fry the person you're using it on.

[Oombongo]

That's a not a self-defense weapon, that's a murder weapon.
The tasers have 50,000 V. What the hell do you want with 800,000 V?
That's going to fry the person you're using it on.

Although the voltage is higher, the current is still very low (about 2.9 - 3 milliamp) which makes this stun gun just as less lethal as other lower voltage models.

I tried it on myself once. I wasn't fried but I got a red nasty looking mark for a few weeks...I was unconscious for around 5 minutes and I peed myself