KEY POINTS:
People thinking of following the lead of many American women and buying a Taser gun for personal protection are in for a shock.
The palm-sized electronic stun guns are being sold at Tupperware-like parties in America as women rush to buy the legal but non-lethal guns to keep themselves safe against attackers and intruders.
Tasers deliver a 50,000-volt charge to an offender and renders them incapable of resistance.
They have been approved for issue to New Zealand police after a year-long trial in Auckland and Wellington but anyone other than a police officer who has one is breaking the law.
In the United States, a range of the stun guns are being snapped up at "Taser parties" by women for around $440 each.
They are smaller than the Tasers the New Zealand police are getting but come in a range of colours, including pink, leopard skin and camouflage.
One of the manufacturers targeting women as customers said its C2 model was its newest "citizens Taser device".
It was easy to use, easy to carry and had the same effectiveness as the Tasers carried by police around the world. An optional laser sight was also available.
In America, they can be legally carried and concealed in 43 states.
However, anyone using a Taser gun in New Zealand is likely to feel the long arm of the law, possibly holding another Taser gun.
They are illegal in New Zealand and anyone found with one would face charges, said Inspector Joe Green, the police national manager of firearms licensing and vetting.
"They are restricted weapons.
"If we found you on the street with one we would arrest you for the unlawful possession of a restricted weapon," Mr Green said.
- NZPA
