Taser vs taser

Toronto Sun, Toronto Star, National Post - Taser.

Globe and Mail - taser.

Newspaper style for the registered trade name seems irrelevant, with stun gun-related deaths across North America mounting each year.

The folks at Taser International, promoting their products for use by police, military and citizens, have an unsettling Santa Claus ad on their web site.

Ah, the perfect gift for Christmas. The neighbors get out of hand - zap 'em. Somebody cuts in front of you at the grocery store cash register - zap 'em. They will live, or not.

(You can be sure stun guns for citizens were not on Lorrie Goldstein's much talked about Christmas wish list in Thursday's Sun.)

Just as well because it is illegal for Canadians to own personal stun guns for pocket and purse. Only in the U.S.A., you say? Good, let's keep it that way.

How many deaths will it take before Canadian and American governments call for moratoriums until the deaths of tasered men and women are clarified?

Last year, Amnesty International Canada called for a moratorium on the use of all stun guns, while other sources were quoting there had been 160 deaths in the U.S. and Canada in five years.

Legal sources say there have been about 20 taser-related deaths in Canada.

So our newspaper style preference would be "taser" until the body count ebbs.