In a motion, Moderate Member of Parliament Jan Ericson is asking the parliament to support the legalization of the possession and use of pepper spray. Ericson believes that society has let down its citizens, and the benefits of allowing Swedes to possess pepper spray outweigh any potential risks.
“Many girls and women feel an increased sense of insecurity in our society. More and more people are taking self-defense courses, and many use alarms and other measures to defend themselves against attacks. At the same time, there is a very effective means of defense against attacks that is not allowed – pepper spray”, he writes, among other things.
Ericson points out that in a society that “has let people down by not forcefully acting against insecurity”, it is also “reasonable to allow people to use pepper spray”.
“Therefore, it should be considered whether the prohibition against possessing and using pepper spray should be lifted. The benefit of an individual experiencing increased security should be valued higher than the potential risks of lifting the ban”.
This is not the first time Ericson has made a motion about pepper spray – as early as 2017, he wanted sales of the spray to be allowed, primarily due to the growing number of rapes and sexual assaults that have dramatically increased in Sweden.
Currently, anyone found in possession of pepper spray risks being convicted of a weapons offense, which could theoretically result in a prison sentence.
