A spit hood, also known as a spit mask, mesh hood, or spit guard, is a restraint device used to prevent a person from spitting or biting. It is a loose, breathable fabric sack that can be placed over a persons head to prevent them from biting or spitting. The use of spit hoods is widespread among medics, prison guards, and the police, throughout the United States and internationally. The hoods are intended to keep officers and others safe from communicable diseases that the detainee might have. However, the use of spit hoods has been controversial, as they are a potential suffocation risk. Critics describe the hoods as primitive, cruel, and degrading, and they have been criticized for breaching human rights guidelines. Several studies have concluded that the risk of transmission of disease from spitting is low. However, when a spit hood is used, the disease the detainee has is most likely known to be transmissible by saliva. The New York Times reported that spit hoods have been involved in several deaths in law enforcement custody. The use of spit hoods has led to the establishment of the Royal Commission into the Protection and Detention of Children in the Northern Territory in Australia. The Australian Federal Police (AFP) banned the usage of spit hoods in 2023, while New Zealand does not ban the usage of spit hoods, and their usage has grown.