A recent increase in bear-spray incidents in North Battleford must have some questioning the trend.
It seems the deterrent has become somewhat of a weapon of choice during recent assaults in the city.
There have been two instances of assault involving bear spray in the last few months, both affecting multiple victims. The most recent was at the end of June, when three men were charged in connection with a violent attack on several victims at a North Battleford home. In May, a man was charged with assault after bear spraying three people at a gas station.
I get the impression the bears aren't the only ones we should worry about when it comes to surprise encounters.
Campers and hunters are often encouraged to carry the spray in case of a close encounter, but if you talk to any seasoned outfitter they question its effectiveness on a predator. It seems there are more stories about people accidentally spraying themselves under windy conditions than there are of narrow escapes using the deterrent.
So why the sudden increase in using it as weapon as opposed to its self-defence purpose?
Maybe because it's relatively easy to buy at sporting goods retailers and as compared to conventional weapons you could call it a steal at about $45 for a can.
Retailers are taking precautions though by making it mandatory to produce a copy of a valid drivers' license in order to purchase the repellent after the recent incidents in North Battleford.
Manitoba did the same thing when they made it mandatory for people purchasing the spray to sign a form that allows tracking of who is buying it, but admits despite their efforts, that they had more recorded complaints about improper use after implementation than they did before the law was enacted.
Is there potentially some kind of underground market for this stuff?
Maybe it's so popular because of its accuracy?
If you call causing intense burning in the eyes and skin and respiratory distress to anything or anyone within an eight-metre radius accurate, I suppose it is. That would be comparable to squishing an ant by dropping a piano on it.
The recommended first aid procedure if you're sprayed is to remove yourself from the contaminated area and strip contaminated clothing, provide fresh air and irrigate with copious amounts of cool water.
For now, if I come across one of these idiots, I think I'll outsmart them and avoid the humiliation by reverting to my Grade 6 outdoor education and play dead - or is it the other way around?
