Taser International Unveils Dual Taser-mP3 Player

At the 2008 Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, Taser International unveiled the Taser Music Player Holster (Taser MPH). The 1-gigabyte MPH is a combination MP3 player and Taser C2 non-lethal stun device that comes in a wide range of colors, including leopard print, and will only set you back about $380.

Taser International is planning to air several infomercials in 2008 touting the effectiveness and safety of their' latest Taser combo. But is it really safe?
Law enforcement has used Tasers since the early 1990s, even though Taser International has admitted in training materials that repeated shocks of a Taser can "impair breathing" and can contribute to "potentially fatal health risks."

Though Taser International has repeatedly denied that any of its' products have caused death, Amnesty International claims that from February 2004 through February 2005, 61 people died after Taser shocks. From February 2005 through February 2006, the number rose even higher to 180 deaths with some victims being shocked as many as 19 times.

According to Taser International's web site, a Taser shoots 50,000 volts of electricity through the victim's body and is accurate at up to 21 feet.

While joggers, bikers and hikers may benefit from this latest Taser product, should it be mass marketed to the general population? Is Taser International being responsible in this latest venture?

Every day in America children become the unintended victims of gun violence because someone forgot to lock up their' gun. Do we really think that a Taser with an MP3 player in a colorful holster will be less of a temptation?

Picture, if you will, little five year old Johnny shooting his 5-year-old friend with mommy's Taser because he thought it was a colorful new toy that plays music. Think it won't happen? Think again. On youtube.com you will find kids tasing kids while the camera is rolling.

Even more disturbing, many police departments have stated that it is legal and acceptable to tase children under the age of sixteen. In January 2005, Miami police were criticized for tasing a six year old boy and in another incident a twelve year old girl. In May 2004, A Tucson police sergeant was put under investigation after tasing a nine year old girl whom he had all ready handcuffed. In November 2007, a Trotwood, Ohio officer was under investigation by the F.B.I after tasing a pregnant woman.

If police departments around the nation have been accused of acting irresponsibly in the use of Tasers, will our children, who look up to law enforcement, act any more responsibly once Tasers are more readily available?

Mass marketing Taser MP3 players is simply irresponsible. Unfortunately, it is legal since Taser has met governmental standards in labeling the device as a "non-lethal stun device" and with 2006 having been a record year for Taser International, Tasers will only become more common place.

According to Taser International, profits rose a record 42% in 2006 to $67.7 million dollars, up $20 million dollars from 2005.

Many watchdog groups are calling the Taser International marketing campaign "irresponsible and dangerous." As a parent of children ranging in age from nine to fifteen, I have to agree with that statement. It is irresponsible to mass market a product that has been implicated in a large number of deaths and it is, in my opinion, very dangerous to make it easier for a child to come into contact with a Taser.

The thought comes to mind that absolutely anyone, eighteen or not, could potentially buy a Taser through these new infomercials. A child can walk into any store and buy a pre-paid credit card and for three to four easy payments become the proud new owner of a Taser. There are no checks and balances currently in place when calling an infomercial 800 number to verify the age of the person on the other end of the line.

I must say, that in the hands of a responsible adult, a Taser can be an effective method of self-protection but looking at the situation as a whole, I'm afraid we are in for a shock.