The figures come from Shoke, a Madrid-based company specialising in security and personal-defense equipment. According to information provided by the firm, the Aragonese capital now ranks seventh among Spanish cities by demand for these products through its digital channel and is among those recording the strongest growth compared with last year's average.
The company says the phenomenon is not limited to Aragon and that, in the past month alone, it has recorded an increase of more than 50% compared with its usual sales volume. It attributes part of the surge to media coverage of recent events related to security in Ceuta. Madrid, Barcelona, Valencia, Seville and Malaga also rank among the cities with the highest levels of activity, according to its own records.
ZARAGOZA GROWS FAR ABOVE THE AVERAGE
The performance of Zaragoza and Aragon is particularly striking within the figures provided by the company. Compared with the 61% increase Shoke reports nationwide, the Aragonese capital has reached 127% and Aragon 110%, meaning that in both cases the figures are more than double the benchmark the company uses for 2025.
Shoke identifies private individuals seeking a legal means of self-protection as the main buyers, although it says interest has also grown among security professionals. Its general manager, Javier Conde, says the company receives “hundreds of inquiries” about which models can be purchased, how to check their approval status and under what circumstances they can legally be used.
The company also warns of the confusion surrounding these products. The fact that an aerosol is sold as “pepper spray,” that it can be purchased in another country or that it is advertised online does not mean it is authorised in Spain. Spanish regulations establish a specific regime for these devices and only exempt from the general ban those models that have received the corresponding approval from the Ministry of Health, following a report by the Permanent Interministerial Commission on Weapons and Explosives.
CAN THEY BE BOUGHT ONLINE?
According to the October 1994 law specifically regulating these products, authorised self-defense sprays must be sold in gun shops, and their sale by catalogue or through any distance-selling system is expressly prohibited.
However, the law does allow private individuals to purchase them provided that the specific model has been approved and the buyer is of legal age. To purchase one legally from a gun shop, buyers must prove they are adults with an ID card, passport or other identity document. These provisions do not require a specific firearms licence to buy one of the authorised models.
Nor is there a general requirement for buyers to sign a declaration or obtain special authorisation to purchase the spray. A shop may, however, have its own identification or traceability procedures. The legal requirements expressly established are that the seller be a gun shop, that the product be approved and that the buyer be able to prove they are of legal age.
NOT ALL PEPPER SPRAYS ARE LEGAL
Approval is not granted generically to a brand or to any product containing irritant substances, but to specific models and for a defined period. The Ministry of Health maintains an official list containing the name, approval number and expiry date of each authorisation.
One of the products currently included is Fito Defensa 50, marketed by Shoke. The official list updated by the Health Ministry in April this year includes this model (DGSP 23-33-SDP) and an authorisation valid until June 2028. The same list includes other models with different expiry dates, making it important to always check the exact reference and not just the manufacturer.
The company also recommends keeping the label and instructions, checking the product's condition and the date indicated by the manufacturer, and avoiding products purchased abroad that do not have specific authorisation in Spain. The Weapons Regulations include sprays among devices subject to a general ban and establish the exception specifically for those approved by the Health Ministry.
HAVING IT LEGALLY DOES NOT MEAN IT CAN BE USED IN ANY SITUATION
Acquiring an authorised spray does not mean it can be used in response to any argument or uncomfortable situation. The Criminal Code establishes that self-defense requires, among other conditions, the existence of an unlawful assault and the rational necessity of the means used to prevent or repel it.
In addition, the Weapons Regulations require people to act diligently and prohibit carrying, displaying or using weapons unnecessarily, negligently or recklessly. The Citizen Security Law likewise classifies carrying, displaying or using prohibited weapons as a serious offence, as well as doing so negligently, recklessly or intimidatingly when the conduct does not constitute a crime. Therefore, the fact that a spray is approved does not automatically make every use of it lawful.
Shoke insists on precisely this point, advocating the use of these devices as a “last resort” tool and maintaining that prevention and knowledge of how they work are essential. The company says that many of the inquiries it currently receives concern precisely the legal limits on their purchase and use.
