IS IT safe to use Tasers to restrain people? The debate has been growing as more and more police forces have started using the electro-stun weapon. The latest research appears to show that while tasering does increase heart and breathing rates, it has few if any long-term effects (see 鈥淭aser studies begin to address health concerns鈥�). End of story? Not at all.
Whether a weapon is safe to use is not the only question police officers should be asking. Just as relevant is whether it is appropriate or necessary. A Taser causes severe pain and muscle contractions, and temporary paralysis. Using it is unquestionably a violent act.
Granted, it can save lives: where it is used in place of lethal force, for example, or to prevent someone committing suicide. But a guarantee that it is safe should not be a ticket for police to use it indiscriminately. Like all tools of violence, it should remain a weapon of last resort.
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