CAMBRIDGE, Mass. (AP) -- Police here are being taught that pepper spray is less effective against Mexican-Americans and other ethnic groups because of their long exposure to spicy foods.

Cambridge officers are told that people who are exposed to hot peppers at an early age develop a tolerance to the spray. The Cambridge Police Department offers no supporting scientific data."I think people will laugh when they hear this -- it's so ridiculous," said Manuel Macias, a lawyer who assists Central American refugees in Cambridge. "But it's a laugh with irony and an edge because of the knowledge that these officers think you are physically different."

The spray, a mixture of cayenne pepper and natural oils commonly called "O.C." by police, is used to incapacitate belligerents.

Police spokesman Frank Pasquarello said the information was presented to officers in a professional manner and that no ethnic groups were being ridiculed.