The only available chemical agents from the 1970's to the 1980's were CN tear gas canisters as I remembered them when I ordered one with a mixture of UV marking dye from a catalog when I was a kid and when I was issued one at a police academy. From the 1990's onward, OC pepper sprays were introduced and adopted by law enforcement since they are more effective in disabling an assailant. Tear gas causes intense tearing and a burning sensation to the face while pepper causes the eyes to slam shut together with unstoppable coughing. Plus, the latter is faster acting with an increased edge in incapacitation.

Not until recently have some pepper sprays improved their effectiveness by increasing the active ingredient, OC, by 10% and by formulating a mixture of pepper and tear gas, even adding UV dye to their contents. However, the biggest jump in chemical spray technology is its methods of delivery.

MACE brand 10% Pepper Foam sprays thick foam which covers an assailant's face. It evaporates to a lesser degree than pepper stream or spray; so, when the perpetrator attempts to wipe the foam away from his face, it would only get smudged more. Furthermore, pepper foam would cover and wrap around an attacker's eyeglasses if he is wearing one. Pepper foam comes in 2 sizes. The large model contains 67 grams and can generate 5 one second bursts with a range between 8 to 10 feet; the magnum model, on the other hand, contains 115 grams and can emit 8 one second bursts with the same distance as its smaller counterpart.

An even better product is the MACE brand 10% Pepper Gel. It is a formulation of pepper suspended in gel instead of a liquid stream, making it more advantageous to the user. First, it strikes a target at a longer distance. Second, it is non-flammable and sticks like glue, making it more difficult for the attacker to wipe it off his face. Third, it is even less contaminating than pepper foam; similar to foam, it does not evaporate as readily as pepper stream or spray. As a result, both foam and gel should not affect the user in a confined space. Pepper gel also comes in 2 sizes. The large model contains 45 grams good for 7 one second bursts and has an effective range of 18 feet while the magnum model contains 79 grams with a fire rate of 13 one second bursts and with a similar range.

Pepper foam and gel are a technological leap above ordinary OC spray and stream. They are without doubt non-lethal arsenal of tools for vigilant citizens who refuse to be victims of crime.