If you can’t bring Brits to the Pakistani slums, bring the Paki slums to the Brits:
A burns surgeon who treats many acid attack victims coming out of East London has suggested that the proliferation of such crimes is now at epidemic levels.
Dr Martin Niall, a burn surgeon at Mid-Essex Hospital, told National Public Radio (NPR) in the U.S. that acid attacks in Britain “are now at levels that one of my colleagues described as epidemic”.
He added: “Everyone, ourselves included, has been shocked by this emerging threat to public health.”
In terms of attacks per head of population, London is now the acid attack capital of the world, with a 74 per cent rise in assaults — from 261 to 454 — between 2015 and 2016.
Hundreds of attacks have already been logged for the first few months of 2017. Twelve people suffered burns and in some cases lost their vision after an attack in a Hackney nightclub at Easter, and two moped-mounted teens attacked five people around London in under 90 minutes in a July crime spree.
Delivery drivers in the capital — who are considered easy targets for bike theft assisted by acid — now refuse to work in certain parts of London due to the danger.
Acid will make a good weapon in the Apocalypse, in areas where guns are hard to come by. The right acid can be concealed in chemically resistant wash bottles, it is terrifying, and it takes out a victim’s sight. Given that, it might pay to give some thought to how you would counter the threat. Paintball masks come to mind, though they would likely be one use items. Welding masks might be good, though they will restrict fields of view considerably. On the bright side, if their batteries are good, they can also protect against blinding light. Gloves would be a necessity at all times, meaning warm weather in warm climate regions might be more of an acid risk.
Where you will not see acid attacks is where firearms are legal, and carried freely. There, the fighting will be much more direct and face to face, with bullets, and acid attackers will be killed on sight.
Oddly enough, that seems much more attractive a prospect, even despite the increased lethality.
Tell everyone about r/K Theory, because acid attacks require return fire
[…] UK Acid Attacks At Epidemic Levels […]
If fighting is face to face where bullets are concerned you probably f-ed up. People in small towns are just going to ambush outsiders with their hunting rifles. I’ve seen youngins take the head off a turkey from over 500 yards. In the Apocalypse don’t count on being the same race as someone else keeping you safe and fed – remember, if you’re a stranger you’re in danger.
Paintball masks as single use items means you’ll need to purchase them in bulk ahead of time to gain the benefits of the vast discount when compared to the $20+ per mask on the retail market now. That, or invest into a 3D printer to make your own. I imagine a paste with baking soda could give them a bit more endurance or altering the chemical make up of the mask itself to better resist the more caustic acid types. Unfortunately, after the initial jump off, I don’t see acid as a weapon having much endurance even in areas where firearms are illegal.
Firearms buy back programs enlightened me to how amazingly abundant firearms are even in the most restrictive areas. It’s especially interesting observing the women who attend such events to surrender firearms left to them by a former spouse or deceased male relative. These women are insanely stupid to surrender functional firearms that the government is unaware of.
In the 1990’s when the first ‘super soaker’ water guns hit the streets, Boston gangs used them with cleaning agents as non-lethal weapons. I think they loaded up windex, but It’s 20+years ago, so I’m not sure. Looks like a water gun, range of 50 feet. And then BAM face full of cleaners. Doesn’t work well for Acid or bleach as those corrode the metal parts in the soaker.
Actually, I can think of a couple of biologics that would not corrode, or interact chemically. Interesting idea, though they would be costly.