Women have a new weapon

BANGALORE: Our grandmothers, perhaps, had the best defence against intruders - chilli powder hid under their mattresses. If that is crude, you have a `refined'' version - pepper spray, an extract of pepper/chilli, that young women or elderly people could carry for self-defence.
Aptly named the Cobra, the spray is expected to knock down a person for 10-15 minutes and disable him for another 10-15 minutes.The effect, which would last an hour, will wear off with no permanent side-effects.
It is also said to cause inflation of the tissue around the eyes and nose. When activated, it emits a cloud of high-emission discharge up to 6 feet.
Says Rana Singh, marketing manager of the Bangalore-based Aax Global, which plans to launch the product, ``Honestly, I have not found any volunteer to test on.''''
``My target audience are working women, housewives, elderly couples and the college girls. This could also be used by shopkeepers, bank security guards and for protection against charging dogs,'''' he says.
The spray, which is being commercially launched, is available in 70 ml aerosols.
The product is intended to be retailed on Indiatimes and institutional sales. The proposed payment is only via credit cards.
The firm also plans to come out with a high-emission model of 20-foot range for the police to quell mobs. It has been found `more effective'' than tear gas by the US police.
Aax plans to arm the local police with suitable variants.