[PaulHoule]

It is hard to make a non-lethal weapon which is effective.

When the taser was first commercialized there was an article about it in the newspaper of my town. Some cops tried zapping each other with it. One was knocked on his ass, but the police chief had a high BMI and could barely feel it.

The old tasers were safe but not very effective. After years of experience they increased the energy and they got to be more effective but occasionally deadly, certainly more painful.

With chemicals it is the same. You can knock people out with opioids or benzodiazepines or both but you have some chance they stop breathing or they are already addicted and have a tolerance and there is no effect. An oral surgeon can sedate you without much risk in an outpatient setting, but he gives you pure oxygen to breathe and has a pulse ox on your finger.

Tear gas can go all the way from "they laugh at you" to "permanent lung damage", etc.

Beanbags, "rubber bullets" and such all occasionally kill and aren't always effective.

Unfortunately there is no "phaser set to stun".