Health Effects From a Taser Gun

Taser guns emit 50,000 volts of electricity by firing two metal barbs into the skin. Their purpose is to stun a suspect long enough to be apprehended, and their use is highly controversial. Taser guns are widely used by law enforcement and military personnel across the world.

Features

• Injuries resulting from Taser guns have ranged from minor cuts and abrasions to death. The electricity emitted stuns a person by overwhelming the nervous system, causing muscles to lock up. In cases where death has resulted, heart or lung failure is usually the primary cause. The effects of Taser guns are most dramatic on people with preexisting health problems, drug users, the mentally ill and children.

Effects

• The immediate result of a Taser shock is extreme pain and neuromuscular incapacitation. The subject usually falls to the ground and screams. Involuntary muscle movement, disorientation, elevated heart rate and labored breathing are common immediate effects.

Significance

• Amnesty International reports that 334 people died in the U.S. as a result of Taser gun shocks between 2001 and 2008.

Regulations

• Because Taser guns are not firearms, they are not regulated by the U.S. government. However, some local law enforcement agencies have limitations, and even outright bans, on Taser gun use by citizens.

Considerations

• Though many animal tests have been conducted, critics claim more human testing is needed to ensure the safety of Taser guns. Proponents claim that with proper use by law enforcement professionals, many lives are being saved each year by the increasing use of Taser guns by police officers.