In the days when ladies wore hats they always had hat pins close at hand.

//The chemical extinguisher has both phosphate and sulphate, the former producing ammonia//

And phosphoric acid. You forgot the phosphoric acid.

Vitriolage is generally regarded as being beyond the pale in this country, but it is a lot more common in Muslim countries, with Bangladesh leading the pack.

CORROSIVE. Causes severe skin burns and eye damage.
Way to go , get a good shot at the eyes so the guy is out of action and can't find that *#&)^ fire extinguisher.

My point is that the torch, if carried with the intent of using it for self defence, would constitute a non lethal weapon even though it was intended to only dazzle an attacker and for that reason I consider the add to be misleading.
It is also misleading in other aspects.

They are quite a menace.

•flashlight;
• swarm, where several police attack from various directions;
• chemical irritant spray, including capsicum (capstun), tear gas (CS, CN) and mace;
• electronic stun devices, such as taser, ultron, and nova;
Is a swarm of police with torches a lethal force?

o sung wu,

Just to give two more examples to show how difficult politicians make it for police and the public they protect:

1. Very soon after a notorious bikie was slapped on the hand with a wilted lettuce leaf for engaging in a serious public brawl in a family restaurant in the Gold Coast, he beat his young, long term female partner to death in a public place. Whereupon Labor Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk, who vowed to trash the VLAD anti-bikie (actually anti-criminal gang) laws, rushed urgently to declare the death as 'domestic violence', citing 'men' as the real problem and instituting a domestic violence public advertising campaign.

The offender in action, this time in gaol,
http://www.goldcoastbulletin.com.au/news/crime-court/former-bandido-bikie-lionel-patea-charged-after-allegedly-throwing-boiling-water-on-inmate/news-story/950ef08052f1e47a90b6389f2b343ccd

2. Allegations have again emerged of senior Rugby League football players sharing their recreational pursuits and celebrity with notorious Bikies. The knee-jerk reaction of Independent Gold Coast Mayor Tate was to set fire to the messenger, to burn The Gold Coast Bulletin for having the temerity to report. See here,

http://www.goldcoastbulletin.com.au/news/opinion/mp-johnpaul-langbroek-reflects-on-the-potential-bikie-revival-three-years-after-brawl/news-story/f0f9d12a564802f01a4a80a95d8e46a9

No Sydneysider would be surprised at that given the news reports over the years of criminal/Bikie gang associations of senior NRL players.

The police and public are continually let down by politicians where criminal gangs are concerned. Politicians who constantly playing the game of 'look over there instead' and outright denials of photographic evidence put before them.

Police on the Gold Coast are rightly concerned about the lack of government concern about threats being made against members of their families Bikie and criminal gangs. It is a takeover bid being likened to comic book thugs as in Gotham City. But it is real.

What prevents politicians from taking action, or even giving the police adequate resources and support? Whenever allegations emerge, some urgent road traffic 'blitz' or other faux 'emergency' is found to occupy the attention of the police, media and public. -The politicians' games of 'Look there instead' and 'Never you mind'.

Who would want to be a cop?
http://www.couriermail.com.au/news/queensland/crime-and-justice/gold-coast-police-officer-who-was-shot-in-face-speaks-at-attempted-murder-trial/news-story/0af39f41dca3e93b189ea8ee4ce4e1c6