Tear Gas [CS] that is prohibited in warfare by the Chemical Weapons Convention that was signed in 1993 by many countries including the United States is still legal Domestically and used against its Citizens

 

Tear Gas was prohibited for us in warfare by the Chemical Weapons Convention that was signed by many countries including the United States in 1993. It is classified as a chemical warfare agent. However, despite CS [Tear Gas] being considered a chemical warfare agent and prohibited in warfare, it does not apply to domestic use and it is used by Police legally in many countries, including the United States.

 

In many instances where harassing agent have been used, negotiations and dialogue could have pursued. Often, public order might be better served if riot Police are not called immediately to duty. It is the hallmark of repressive regimes to equate the voicing of dissent with disorder and to deny opponents the freedom of assembly and speech, right guaranteed universally among signatories to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

 

How it works

 

The effects of CS can vary widely and are dependent on the dosage received, duration exposed, and whether the chemical is packaged as a volatile solution or used as an aerosol. “Tear gases are nerve gases that specifically activate pain-sensing nerves,” explained scientist Sven-Eric Jordt, who studies the effects of tear gas and other chemicals at Yale University School of Medicine, in an interview with National Geographic last year. Though this sounds extreme, medical professionals have concluded that CS gas poses little danger when used appropriately. “No consistent adverse effects from acute exposure have been documented, nor has excessive or unfounded use been a problem, “says, research director for the Department of Emergency Medicine and Clinical Toxicology at the University of Tennessee.

 

 

After exposure, the effects of CS are generally felt within 60 seconds. The most immediate effects are irritation of the eyes, skin and mucous membranes, leading to burning sensations, tearing, coughing, and, if swallowed, vomiting. Burning of the skin, excessive fluid production in the eyes, nose and throat, disorientation and dizziness are common. Most of these subside within an hour if the exposed individual is removed from the scene into a well-ventilated area and removes clothing contaminated by the chemical. However, severe reactions to the chemical have occurred, and include blistering, irreversible damage to the eyes, heart and liver damage, respiratory distress, and heart failure. People with asthma or otherwise weakened respiratory systems are particularly at risk of life-threatening complications. While there are no confirmed fatalities from CS exposure, tear gasses in general have had lethal effects, and CS specifically has been implicated in at least one death during an aggravated arrest.

 

Medical opinion on its use

 

Not all professionals agree that CS is safe enough for domestic use. “Tear gas under the Geneva Convention is characterized as a chemical warfare agent, and so it is precluded for use in warfare,” explains Jordt, “but it is used very frequently against civilians. That’s very illogical.”

 

“The possibility of long-term health consequences such as tumor formation, reproductive effects and pulmonary disease is especially disturbing in view of the multiple exposures sustained by demonstrators and non-demonstrators alike in some areas of civil unrest” wrote Howard Hu and five other medical doctors in the Journal of the American Medical Association in 1989. “The evidence already assembled regarding the pattern of use of tear gas as well as its toxicology raises the question of whether its further use can be condoned under any conditions.” The doctors came down hard on current police use of the substance: [Discover Magazine]

 

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