Self-defense weapons are an important part of allowing teenagers, especially women, to take control of their safety. When we think of self-defense, pepper spray is one of the first non-lethal weapons that comes to mind. It’s often a chosen tool for teenage girls looking for an effective way to protect themselves. But when I moved to Texas to attend UT, I was 17 years old and couldn’t purchase pepper spray because I was underage.

In Texas, you can only buy pepper spray if you’re 18 years old or older, making it illegal for some freshmen college students to buy a commonly-used safety tool. The Texas Legislature should revise the penal code to allow 17-year-olds to purchase pepper spray with parental permission.

Gabrielle Dong, economics and human dimensions of organization freshman, believes the age limit for purchasing pepper spray is problematic.

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“I think it’s just restrictive, especially because you can’t assume that everyone in every situation is going to be safe,” Dong said.  “I live off campus as a freshman and as a girl. It’s honestly pretty dangerous, … (and pepper spray is) a valuable tool to have.”

During their undergraduate years, 26.4% of females and 6.8% of males experience sexual assault. While a student may be underage, that does not mean they’re safe from assault or other related violence.

“Very bluntly, I don’t think somebody who would be willing to mug me on the street would be like, ‘Wait, are you 16 or 17?’” said Emma Guan, economics and international relations and global studies sophomore. “You’re equally at risk of getting attacked.”

Teenagers are old enough to use self-defense weapons seriously and need access to these tools to protect themselves, especially if they go to college in larger cities, which tend to have higher crime rates. 

According to the FBI Crime Data Explorer, Travis county has seen an overall rise in violent crime since 2011. There were approximately 350 violent crime cases reported in the base year, compared to 782 in 2021. This pattern follows a general trend of violent crime increasing in Texas.

“I do think there should be an age limit … because pepper spray can be really dangerous,” said Maheshwari Rajesh, Plan II and psychology freshman. “(But) I think if you’re in the right circumstances, like in a big city, going to college or out late at night, … it’s important.”

Despite its benefits, pepper spray is still a weapon and has adverse effects on human health. In fact, pepper spray is regulated by the Environmental Protection Agency as a pesticide. However, adding a parental permission provision mitigates the chances of a teenager misusing the self-defense weapon.

“As a mother of two, I recognize the safety concerns that are present in today’s world, especially for young women,” Texas Senator Sarah Eckhardt said in an email. “I feel it is better we address safety concerns head on to protect kids in other ways. Pepper spray, while normally not lethal, is still classified as a weapon. … (It) is my hope to have a society where kids do not feel threatened to the point of needing a weapon at all.”

Senator Eckhardt’s point is well taken — while pepper spray is a weapon, college-age teenagers have the capability of handling this tool effectively. Other states like Washington have legalized the purchase of pepper spray by teenagers as young as 14 years old, provided they have parental permission. 

While there are alternatives to pepper spray, other self-defense tools are not as effective. A study published by a Baltimore County Police Department found that pepper spray is capable of temporarily incapacitating someone 90% of the time.

“I just think (pepper spray) should really be supplemented with something else,” Rajesh said. “I don’t think that having pepper spray is gonna make you 100% safe, … so finding something that fits you is really important.”

Along with other tools and training, defense weapons like pepper spray can empower women. Overall, the risks of giving 17-year-olds access to pepper spray when they start college and find their independence are well outweighed by the benefits pepper spray provides.

Muthukrishnan is a government and race, indigeneity and migration freshman from Los Gatos, California.