It has become the object that accompanies headlines, the unexpected complement of current events. It is the weapon of personal defense in Ceuta, it is capable of turning a boring day of Congress into news and it even sneaks into the housing problem: yesterday Bertrand Ndongo, the political activist linked to Vox, was expelled from the camp in Puerta del Sol and, when leaving, he dropped his pepper spray canister, which is increasingly present in Spain.
"People have the feeling that there is more insecurity." This conclusion is reached by María Redondo, coordinator of the company Nidec Defense Group, specialized in the distribution of police equipment and "non-lethal weapons", such as the Saber spray. This perception is what pushes citizens to buy a personal defense spray, even though crime rates do not increase in the same proportion.
Every time an event raises concern, sales of self-defense gas canisters increase. The last peak was triggered by the Ceuta migration crisis. But the rebound was not limited to the territory of the autonomous city. "It's curious because not only has sales increased in Ceuta, but also in the rest of Spain because of it," emphasizes Redondo. Other unexpected events have also multiplied sales.
Javier Conde, executive director of the Madrid gun shop Shoke, has a lot to thank PP deputy Ana Belén Vázquez for her intervention last week in Congress. By carrying a canister of pepper spray in his hand, Conde confesses that "it generated a spike in searches, queries and sales." The popular one showed the object as a "symbol of the lack of freedoms suffered by Ceuta women", being forced to leave the chamber by the president of the lower house, Francisca Armengol. The brand of the bottle that the deputy was carrying, Fito Defensa 50, was captured by cameras and took consumers to the Shoke store, which sells said brand. "As it was news to say the least, the increase in sales was quite noticeable that day and the next."
But it is fear that usually moves buyers. "The spikes go like waves... Whenever there is an event that happens nearby, people get scared," agrees José Barranquero, president of Grupo Ekipol and Astron International, the manufacturer of Defender and Skram brand sprays. "If there is a violation in Alcorcón, more sprays are sold in that area," he exemplifies. «When there is fear, people cannot go around with a razor, a knife, or a baseball bat; "People arm themselves with what they legally can," he explains.
In recent years, each crime that has achieved media relevance has skyrocketed sales of the aerosol. The dissemination of images of an express kidnapping in Catalonia a few days ago is another example. Likewise, the events that shook the country in the past have also set a precedent in prevention. It is "the effect of La Manada de Pamplona", as Redondo describes: "Now, every time there is San Fermín, there is a peak in sales in the area, or when there are festivals that are more famous, like the carnivals in the Canary Islands."
latest crime figures
Between January and June 2026, Spain registered 1.21 million criminal offenses, 0.5% more than in the same period of the previous year, according to data from the Ministry of the Interior. Although the overall increase is moderate, some crimes that can fuel the feeling of insecurity did increase: sexual assaults with penetration increased by 3.5% and kidnappings by 17.6%. On the other hand, other crimes linked to daily insecurity decreased: thefts fell by 3.8%, robberies with force by 5.9% and robberies with violence or intimidation by 0.8%.
Manufacturers, distributors and merchants state that this product is easily available in gun stores - physical and online - as long as they are of legal age and prove it with their identity document, as established in article 5.1.i of the Weapons Regulations. In this way, it is not only intended for security forces, but also extends to the civilian population. "More women buy it than men, at a percentage of 70-30%," says Barranquero. Redondo and Conde clarify that "men and women alike" buy it, although they have detected that "parents buy it for their wives and children."
The first requirement to acquire an authorized self-defense aerosol is precisely that: its approval. The Ministry of Health has a list of permitted self-defense sprays, which details the brands, approval numbers and their expiration date. Improper use of this type of weapons carries a financial penalty. The amount depends on the infraction: the same Weapons Regulation contemplates, for example, fines of 300 to 601 euros for using a weapon without the necessary precautions to avoid damage or inconvenience to third parties, while serious violations of the Citizen Security Law give rise to fines of up to 30,000 euros.
Barranquero warns that sometimes customers choose to purchase products from Andorra or France, but these aerosols "are not approved by the Spanish Ministry of Health and, therefore, face an administrative penalty." Along the same lines, at Nidec they have detected that consumers purchase these sprays because they think they are stronger. «But it is not like that, the potency is not measured in the amount of OC, which is the oleoresin of capsicum, which is like the raw material, but by the level of capsaicin it has in OC. It's like if you drink a glass with 20% alcohol and the rest soft drink, what matters is not the amount but the degrees of that alcohol," explains Redondo.
To avoid scams, Conde warns that "there are many sites that sell self-defense spray as if it were pepper when it is really paint." These are mostly found on Amazon. "There are people who, due to ignorance, end up having an illegal or not so effective spray." For this reason, experts in the sector recommend purchasing these objects in gun stores and, previously, verifying which brands are approved by the Ministry of Health.
