ROME - Beginning in January, police and carabinieri in Rome, Milan, and Naples will be supplied with pepper spray as an experimental use weapon.

 

Pepper spray is a chemical that irritates the eyes and mucous membranes of the nose and mouth. The spray causes burning, coughing, watery eyes, and sometimes temporary blindness. It is considered non-lethal, especially in comparison to other weapons used by police, however it can cause serious respiratory complications among those with asthma.

 

Currently it is legal for Italian citizens over 16 years of age to carry pepper spray, given that they have no criminal record. The spray must also contain less than 10 percent of the active ingredient oleoresin capsicum and have a range that does not exceed three metres.

 

In Italy, a country where protests occur nearly each day, officials have been weighing the potential for the weapon for several years. Officials have now decided to test out the weapon for police in Rome, Milan, and Naples, and will begin the test use in January.