Pepper spray may not be lethal, but its ability to incapacitate can provide a crucial moment for defence, allowing victims to escape or deter harm.

The Young Democrats are pushing for the legalisation of pepper spray in Luxembourg. But the police are sticking to their typical autonomous 'self-defence is key' line. Sure, no one's against learning how to defend yourself, but how effective is that when a woman’s up against a man – let alone a group of men – in a park?

Police Chief Superintendent Tim Pauly advises screaming and drawing attention to yourself. This might intimidate the attacker, but what if no one's around? What if people are too scared to help because they also don't have any means of defending themselves? Once again solid advice from a man!

Pepper spray isn't a toy, but it's not exactly lethal either. It would certainly cause the attacker some discomfort for weeks – and, frankly, that feels like a fair consequence for someone trying to assault or rob an innocent person. Attackers often don't play fair either, and they may be armed with a knife – or worse, a gun.

Feeling safe is essential to well-being, yet for many, it remains a struggle. The inability to carry self-defence tools like pepper spray leaves people, particularly women, feeling vulnerable. Safety is not just about defence in danger, but the peace of mind that comes with knowing you can protect yourself, offering confidence to move through the world without fear.

In our neighbouring countries, pepper spray is legal to carry for self-defence, and it's easy to get it from them in Luxembourg. I get the concerns about it being a weapon, but I also get that it's a tool that could help people – women, men, everyone in between – make sure they don't end up as victims.

Now, Director of Penitentiary and Criminal Law at the Justice Ministry Laurent Thyes says owning pepper spray isn't automatically illegal, as long as it's used for self-defence. But using it for anything else could result in a massive fine or even prison time. So, we're not allowed to own it, but we're kind of allowed to use it in self-defence? It doesn't add up. And if we're expecting the police and judiciary to handle cases like these the same way they handle rape allegations, I’m not exactly hopeful.

With toxic masculinity gaining prominence, it's clear to me this is not a decision that should be made by men alone. It needs to be a fair, collective one that prioritises the safety of innocent people, particularly those who are most vulnerable. Too often, men assume they understand the experience, arguing that self-defence or screaming is enough. I'm sure many women would beg to differ, arguing that screaming alone isn't enough to stop someone from assaulting you – and it's time we level the playing field.