Tear Gas and Public Health

Tear gas is a collection of chemicals that cause skin, respiratory, and eye irritation. It’s usually deployed from canisters, grenades, or pressurized sprays. Despite the name, tear gas isn’t a gas. It’s a pressurized powder that creates a mist when deployed. The most commonly used form of tear gas is 2-chlorobenzalmalononitrile (CS gas). It was first discovered by two American scientists in 1928  and the U.S. Army adopted it for controlling riots in 1959.Other common types of tear gases include oleoresin capsicum (pepper spray), dibenzoxazepine (CR gas), and chloroacetophenone (CN gas).Tear gas was used as a chemical weapon in World War I. However, it’s currently illegal for wartime use. In 1993, many of the world’s countries came together in Geneva to sign an international treaty to prevent chemical warfare. Article I (5) of the treaty states, “Each State Party undertakes not to use riot control agents as a method of warfare. “Almost every country signed the treaty except for four U.N. member states: North Korea, South Sudan, Egypt, and Israel.
Use of tear gases to control civil unrest is accepted practice by government authorities worldwide, in spite of their harmful effects in human health and its ban by different organization. Tear gases have been being used as an accepted practice when faced with combative suspects, for riot and demonstration control, and for alleviating hostage and siege situations, in spite of their harmful effects in human health and its ban by different organization. Proponents of their use claim that, if used correctly, the noxious effects of exposure are transient and of no long-term consequences. Although, the use of these irritant incapacitates is reasonable in certain circumstances such as hostage and siege situations because of elimination of the need for lethal force, its use in a mass of people certainly has significant impact on the health and economy. Recently we have seen that the police action against the civil disobedience in various part of the World and in Manipur during public protest of present ethnic crisis. The police force had used tear gases to suppress the demonstration. Amazing was the situation that the so-called human right activist and media were silent regarding the use of harmful chemical agents. Even the media had rejected to publish submitted articles on tear gases and their effects on health.
Tear gas causes immediate, intense irritation to eyes (tearing, burning, blurred vision), skin (burning, redness), nose (runny nose, burning), and lungs (coughing, chest tightness, shortness of breath), often with nausea and disorientation, typically resolving quickly after leaving the area. However, prolonged or high-concentration exposure, especially in enclosed spaces, poses serious risks including blindness, severe chemical burns, respiratory failure, long-term lung damage (RADS), and even death, with individuals with pre-existing conditions being at higher risk. The use of chemical warfare against citizens in the name of controlling the demonstration without giving prior notification of the agents used in riot control is highly condemned by different medical communities. While tear gas and pepper spray are banned from use in war by an international treaty, domestic use is legal and nearly ubiquitous in the most of the countries. Complications of tear gas can get worse the longer you’re exposed. Minimizing the amount of time you’re in contact with the gas by moving away as quickly as possible can minimize your risk of developing more severe side effects. You may be able to minimize your exposure by covering your eyes, mouth, nose, and skin as much as possible. Wearing a scarf or bandana over your nose and mouth may help prevent some of the gas from entering your airways. Wearing goggles can help protect your eyes.
It is recommended to have an arrangement for aftercare when such situations are expected. Contaminated clothes of exposed people should be removed to prevent secondary contamination; medical staff should wear gloves and goggles when providing treatment. Washing with soap and water is not necessary unless symptoms persist, because the most of tear gases can dissolve in water and further exacerbate symptoms or contaminate other surfaces. Hot water should be avoided because it may cause any residual particles to vaporize and give rise to secondary contamination. Recommendations for treating eyes contaminated with CS vary. Some clinician suggests blowing dry air with a fan over the eyes to vaporize the CS particles; the area downwind of the fan should be vacant to avoid secondary contamination. Others recommend irrigation with normal saline. Persistent ocular irritation is usually the result of a particle of CS embedded in the surface, so a thorough slit lamp examination should be conducted. Although current evidence suggests that tear-gas, especially CS exposure is not dangerous to most people. Exposure may trigger laryngospasm or bronchospasm in people with pre-existing respiratory disease, such as asthma or bronchitis, and they are best advised to avoid voluntary exposure. Allergic contact dermatitis from repeated exposure to chemical-based control agents has been identified in both law-enforcement officers and demonstrators at protests. Susceptible individuals should avoid repeated exposure to these gases by standing away from police barricades.
In conclusion, the use of irritant incapacitates is common in the civil disobediences in spite of their harmful effects in human health and its ban by different organization. The most commonly used riot-controlling agents used as fumigant includes pepper spray or OC (Oleoresin Capsicum) and different types of tear gases, which are O-chlorobenzylidene malononitrile or CS, and omega-chloroacetopheonone or CN, dibenz 1,4-oxazepine or CR and different types of solvent used to disperse these agents. These gases are responsible for the acute and chronic health effects and cause significant impact on the economy. They are responsible for not only the acute and chronic health effects range from severe flu-like symptoms, to pulmonary enema and acute respiratory distress, but also for the chromosome aneuploidy in germ and somatic cells leading to birth defects in offspring and cancer. The only immediate physical symptoms developed by a victim of these gases are the irritating and immediately debilitating effects of these tear gases. Apparently, the immediate acute effects of the gas wear off within ten to fifteen minutes. Pepper spray, the most recent chemical agents widely used in the personal defence and riot controlling situations, is the least toxic agents used among all because of its transient effects on health and has been recommended for personal aerosol protection devices.
Although the chemical agents have been used for many years, full extent of effects on health is far beyond our understanding. All manufacturers and the police department must disclose the material data safety sheets of all chemicals used in crowd control. Manufacturers should be responsible for the acute and chronic health effects of the chemicals they create and the government should take responsibility for timely aftercare of exposed.
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