Tasers at a glance

<p>How Tasers work, according to officials at Arizona-based Taser International:</p><p>A Taser temporarily immobilizes a person by using pulsing electricity to over-stimulate the nervous system, which locks up muscles while the current is flowing.</p><p>The guns shoot two fishhook-like electric darts about 25 feet. Each time the trigger is pulled, the darts deliver a 50,000-volt jolt for 5 full seconds. The triggers can be activated as many times as needed for the life of the gun's battery.</p><p>Following each 5-second jolt, people who are shocked generally regain all muscle control.</p><p>Tasers can also be used like cattle prods, but the effect is more isolated and less painful.</p><p>By the numbers:</p><p>_ Tasers emit 50,000 volts of electricity, or 0.36 joule per second. By comparison, a defibrillator, which shocks the heart back into a normal rhythm, emits 200 to 400 joules per second.</p><p>_ 7,300 law enforcement agencies and military installations around the world use Tasers.</p><p>_ 130,000 Taser guns are being used by law enforcement in the United States.</p><p>_ An estimated 80,000 to 100,000 people have been shocked by Tasers during law enforcement confrontations since the device hit the market in 1998.</p><p>_ 100,000 civilians own a Taser.</p>

http://accesswdun.com/article/2005/7/142685