PAVA
spray
PAVA spray is an incapacitant spray dispensed from a hand-held canister in a liquid
stream. It contains a 0.3% solution of pelargonic acid vanillylamide (PAVA), a
synthetic capsaicinoid, in a solvent of aqueous ethanol. The propellant is
nitrogen. This solution has been selected because this is the minimum
concentration which will fulfil the purpose of the equipment; namely to
minimise a person's capacity for resistance without unnecessarily prolonging
their discomfort. PAVA is significantly more potent than CS gas.
The
liquid stream is a spray pattern and has a maximum effective range of up to 4
metres. Maximum accuracy, however, will be achieved over a distance of 1.25 – 2
metres. The operating distance is the distance between the canister and the
subject's eyes, not the distance between the user and the subject.
Effects
of PAVA
PAVA
primarily affects the eyes, causing closure and severe pain. The pain to the
eyes is reported to be greater than that caused by CS. The effectiveness rate
is very high once PAVA gets into the eyes; however, there have been occasions
where PAVA and CS have failed to work—especially when the subject is under the
influence of alcohol or other drugs. Exposure to fresh moving air will normally
result in a significant recovery from the effects of PAVA within 15 – 35
minutes.
Pharmacologically, like other capsaicinoids, PAVA works by direct
binding to receptors (TRPV1) that normally produce the pain and sensation of
heat, as if exposed to scalding heat.
