What you should know about the use of tear gas
May 25, 2011
OF late there has been mixed reaction from the public about the use of tear gas and its effect on the lives of the people.
OF late there has been mixed reaction from the public about the use of tear gas and its effect on the lives of the people.
It is the duty of the Government to inform its citizens about the type of tear gas it intends to use against rioters, its effect and quick treatment.
Also the Police chief should not just deploy his men bear faced without gas masks to administer tear gas for hours as this would be hazardous on the lives of the officers. Below are some important tips the public and police officers should know about tear gas.
Tear Gas is a chemical substance that produces a primary physical effect of stinging or tearing eyes. Tear gas also irritates other mucous membranes and causes choking and coughing. People exposed to higher concentrations may experience burning, itching, or even blistering skin.
As a form of riot control, police often use clouds of tear gas to break up crowds of people. Tear gas may also be used to force the surrender of fugitives hiding in a building. Dogs and horses are relatively unaffected by tear gas, so they can add to the riot-control effect of the gas.
CN and CS are the two main types of tear gas. CN’s scientific name is chloroacetophenone, and it comes in several variants. CNB adds benzene and carbon tetrachloride, while CNC adds chloroform. CNS adds chloropicrin (PS), which can cause victims to vomit or suffer lung damage. CN was discovered in Germany in the 1860s. It was used early in World War I (1914-1918) with mixed results.
CS’s scientific name is chlorobenzylidene malononitrile. It was first made in the 1920s. It is considered less toxic and more potent than CN and is used much more often. A person engulfed by CS begins tearing, coughing, and feeling dizzy or nauseous. Unlike CN, CS can be washed off easily.
Tear gas was first used in World War I, setting the stage for the use of stronger chemical warfare agents like chlorine in 1915. Compared to the effects of these chemical agents, the effects of tear gas are milder and shorter-lived. Tear gas was, therefore, deemed an ineffective weapon against prepared troops. However, tear gas was used during the Vietnam War (1959-1975) by US troops to aid in combat operations.
After World War I, police and internal security forces became the largest users of tear gas, using it mainly as a riot-control agent. Some notable events that saw extensive use of tear gas include the Bonus March in Washington, D.C., in 1932, the frequent Israeli-Palestinian clashes, and the siege of the Branch Davidian compound near Waco, Texas, in 1993.
Current police training suggests using CN in confined spaces and CS outdoors. Critics of tear-gas use say that because the concentrations cannot be controlled, dense pockets of gas may cause death or injury. Also, the projectiles carrying the gas can injure and even kill. Very little is known about the long-term side effects, although research suggests that the risk is low. Some forms of tear gas are available for personal protection.
The risk may be claimed to be low, but no risk is desirable. Stand warned.
“A popular Government, without popular information or the means to acquire it is but a prologue to a false or a tragedy; or, perhaps both. Knowledge will forever govern ignorance; and a people who mean to be their own governors must arm themselves with the power which the knowledge givesâ€-Former US, President James Madison, 1822.
The writer is a scientist and has done research on tear gas 0712268924
It is the duty of the Government to inform its citizens about the type of tear gas it intends to use against rioters, its effect and quick treatment.
Also the Police chief should not just deploy his men bear faced without gas masks to administer tear gas for hours as this would be hazardous on the lives of the officers. Below are some important tips the public and police officers should know about tear gas.
Tear Gas is a chemical substance that produces a primary physical effect of stinging or tearing eyes. Tear gas also irritates other mucous membranes and causes choking and coughing. People exposed to higher concentrations may experience burning, itching, or even blistering skin.
As a form of riot control, police often use clouds of tear gas to break up crowds of people. Tear gas may also be used to force the surrender of fugitives hiding in a building. Dogs and horses are relatively unaffected by tear gas, so they can add to the riot-control effect of the gas.
CN and CS are the two main types of tear gas. CN’s scientific name is chloroacetophenone, and it comes in several variants. CNB adds benzene and carbon tetrachloride, while CNC adds chloroform. CNS adds chloropicrin (PS), which can cause victims to vomit or suffer lung damage. CN was discovered in Germany in the 1860s. It was used early in World War I (1914-1918) with mixed results.
CS’s scientific name is chlorobenzylidene malononitrile. It was first made in the 1920s. It is considered less toxic and more potent than CN and is used much more often. A person engulfed by CS begins tearing, coughing, and feeling dizzy or nauseous. Unlike CN, CS can be washed off easily.
Tear gas was first used in World War I, setting the stage for the use of stronger chemical warfare agents like chlorine in 1915. Compared to the effects of these chemical agents, the effects of tear gas are milder and shorter-lived. Tear gas was, therefore, deemed an ineffective weapon against prepared troops. However, tear gas was used during the Vietnam War (1959-1975) by US troops to aid in combat operations.
After World War I, police and internal security forces became the largest users of tear gas, using it mainly as a riot-control agent. Some notable events that saw extensive use of tear gas include the Bonus March in Washington, D.C., in 1932, the frequent Israeli-Palestinian clashes, and the siege of the Branch Davidian compound near Waco, Texas, in 1993.
Current police training suggests using CN in confined spaces and CS outdoors. Critics of tear-gas use say that because the concentrations cannot be controlled, dense pockets of gas may cause death or injury. Also, the projectiles carrying the gas can injure and even kill. Very little is known about the long-term side effects, although research suggests that the risk is low. Some forms of tear gas are available for personal protection.
The risk may be claimed to be low, but no risk is desirable. Stand warned.
“A popular Government, without popular information or the means to acquire it is but a prologue to a false or a tragedy; or, perhaps both. Knowledge will forever govern ignorance; and a people who mean to be their own governors must arm themselves with the power which the knowledge givesâ€-Former US, President James Madison, 1822.
The writer is a scientist and has done research on tear gas 0712268924