Here is a recent article by Wes Siler, who is pretty far left, but is willing to be convinced by the truth.
He talks about his interview with Tom Smith, and talks about what changed his mind on bear spray a few years ago.
Easiest to scroll down to the Bold section header: Fact Two: Bear Spray is Not Effective In A Bear Attack
I think he is a bit over the top with the header, but you might find interesting why he says that.
https://wessiler.substack.com/p/bear-spray-is-a-placebo
Bear Spray a Placebo.
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He was Killed by disinformation!
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Thanks Great Read !