On the heels of concerns regarding the NYPD's use of body bags to restrain "emotionally disturbed people," the Metropolitan police of the UK have announced that they will begin bagging people's heads during arrests as soon as this October. However, recent protests to the plan in Britain have caused Metropolitan police to consider delaying their "debut."

The device is currently being used by British transport police (BTP) whereas some other British police forces have banned their use. The specially designed bags are known as spit hoods and are intended to be used to protect police from spit and other bodily fluids of "uncooperative individuals." Apparently, spit is of great concern to UK police as the health and safety representative of the UK's police union, Che Donald, was quoted by RT as saying:

"I'd rather take a punch to the face than be spat at."

Donald continued by saying that he did not view the use of hoods as a use of force but rather as a health and safety issue for police officers.

Yet, spit hoods are not always safe for those being forced to wear them. In the US, the use of spit hoods has been linked to several deaths. There have been several cases where police pepper-sprayed individuals before placing them in spit hoods. The involuntary reactions to pepper spray often include spitting and mucous discharge as spray causes the breathing passages constrict.

In such cases, people must continue to breathe in pepper spray residue without proper ventilation which has resulted in serious injuries or death. Any person who is placed in a spit hood that is bleeding from the nose or face, a common occurrence in today's world of militarized law enforcement, the blood can also coat the interior of the hood which can also restrict breathing.

Once any type of bodily fluids, spit, blood, or otherwise, makes contact with the interior of the spit hood, the mesh fabric becomes clogged and ceases to allow the flow of air. This has resulted in several deaths as well as irreparable brain damage for some survivors. In addition, the hoods make it difficult to tell if the person wearing the hood is having difficulty breathing or is in distress as the hood obscures the view of their face.