Are Tasers Safe?
by Iris Tse Two high profile events involving tasers have dominated the recent news cycle. The first one centered around University of Florida student Andrew Meyers, who was tasered by campus police after he asked John Kerry a string of incredibly juvenile questions at a public forum. It gave rise to an infectious catchphrase (“Don’t tase me, bro!”), copycat videos on YouTube, Facebook groups and the inevitable cafépress T-shirts. The second taser-related episode involves Robert Dziekanski, a 40-year-old immigrant from Pieszyce, Poland, who died at Vancouver International Airport after being tased by the police. While Meyer’s story has been treated with humor, and occasional mockery, Dziekanski’s far more tragic ending has prompted many to question the safety of tasers. There is no simple answer to this. Tasers used in law enforcement are hand-held weapons that can discharge a jolt of electricity up to 50,000 volts. The shot is only supposed to cause short-term muscle contractions and
