The harsh realities of carrying a knife

You want to feel safe. To be respected. To fit in. To be left alone. Other people around you do, so you do too. It's self-defence.

Whatever your reasons, you carry a knife.

However secure it makes you feel - the blade you carry - there's a sharper truth: you're more likely to be stabbed with your own knife than anyone else's. By carrying a knife, you're potentially arming your attacker. Potentially signing your own death warrant.

Because there's no 'safe' place to stab someone, no safe place to be stabbed. Any stab wound can be fatal.

Then there are the legal reasons.

First off, self-defence is no defence in the eyes of the law. You can be imprisoned for up to four years for just carrying a knife, let alone using it. And you’ll get a criminal record. A record that’s going to cast a shadow over your future. Employers are far less likely to employ someone with a criminal record.

You might find it hard to enter some other countries, like the United States, on holiday. And don’t forget the impact of your actions on the people that love you. The heartache, grief, loss.

Carrying a knife might seem like the new normal. But it’s not.

You have a choice. Stay safe.