I would imagine that the effects on bystanders (read: you) would be considerably reduced with the foam, but I have no experience with that. I wear contacts, so I have sensitive eyes when they are removed. As anyone who wears them can attest, you can walk through a burning building with them in and the smoke has little effect. Your eyes are shielded. However, take them out...and a whiff of cigarette smoke will put you in tears. That could have played a part in my situation. I was on a military deployment a few years back. I had just hit the showers when an altercation broke out just outside. The two drunken combatants stumbled back into the shower area. Pepper spray was used to separate the two, and even though only a small amount was used, it hung in the air because of all the steam. I was 10 feet from it and it pretty much set me on fire. Now, although my eyes are pretty sensitive to anything when not wearing lenses, I am not particularly sensitive to pepper spray (no more than the next guy). I have been sprayed directly in the face with it in training. If the training experience scored a 10 on the pain scale, I'd rate the shower incident at a 6. It certainly was no picnic. Now, during the aforementioned training, I watched guys take a shot in the face and continue to "attack" (simulated) for as long as a full minute with seemingly no effect from the spray. Some folks just take it better. If you are feeling a 6 on the pain scale, and Mr. Peeper is like one of those guys...something to think about.