A border defense officer demonstrates moves against sexual predators on a bus in Wenzhou, Zhejiang province, in July. Cai Kuanyuan / For China Daily

Quality concerns

Compared with the surge in sales, however, the quality of some of the products is questionable.

Quite a few consumers have complained about the poor quality of the devices.

A resident of Guangzhou, Guangdong province, bought a bottle of pepper spray from an online shop recently, but the sprinkle head got stuck the second time she tried to use it as a trial. The pepper spray is now useless.

"There was no formal trademark or label on the spray bottle to show that it had passed quality inspection," Guangzhou Daily has quoted her as saying.

Li, too, says that the part of the glare flashlight that stretches out like a stick has become a bit loose in only two weeks and no longer fits into her handbag.

In addition to the concerns over the poor quality of the devices, people are also discussing whether it's appropriate to carry products like stun guns for protection.

But, Wang Dawei, a professor at the Chinese People's Public Security University, says: "It's not safe for young women to use tools such as pepper spray and stun gun."

Wang, who has been working closely with the media to teach women self-protection skills, emphasizes: "The recommended way for protection is to use screaming alarms, which can beep for 20 minutes and thus deter criminals by attracting public attention."

He and his team have organized many forums through television and other channels in Beijing to advice women, senior citizens and children on self-protection.