The harmful effects of Tasers are real—not just to the body, but to the mind.

At the heels

of yearlong study published by the Miami New Times, Lauren Kirchner (2008) from Pacific

Standard has compiled a list of scientific studies that question the use of Tasers as a “safer”

alternative to a firearm.

These abuses could be an isolated incident, but the threats Tasers pose to health, mental

well-being, and civil rights are cause for concern. Kirchner references a study that shows how these

shocks from Tasers can cause abnormal heart rhythms and have the potential to send people into

a cardiac arrest. But the shock carries another caveat to people's mental well-being.