CN is the most toxic lacrimator and at high concentrations has caused corneal epithelial damage and chemosis. It has accounted for at least five deaths, which have resulted from pulmonary injury and/or asphyxia. CS is a 10-times more potent lacrimator than CN but is less systemically toxic.

Introduction: 2-Chloroacetophenone (CN), o-chlorobenzylidene malonitrile (CS) and oleoresin capsicum (OC) are common riot control agents.

“Tear gases are nerve gases that specifically activate pain-sensing nerves,” Jordt told National Geographic. “Severe traumatic injury from exploding tear gas bombs as well as lethal toxic injury have been documented.” Hu found that if exposed to “high levels of CS,” some victims experienced heart failure or even death.

“Using three teaspoons of baking soda mixed with 8 ounces of water does work, and the reason it works is that it’s able to neutralize the tear gas chemical,” she says.

Tear gas is already illegal in warfare under the Chemical Weapons Convention, and should be banned under international human rights law. Tear gas is not a low-risk weapon. Tear gas canisters themselves are also a threat, and have caused deaths when launched directly at protestors.

Pepper spray (sometimes referred to as “OC spray“) is a combination of natural chemicals, whereas tear gas (also called “CS gas“) comes from man-made compounds.

Mace as a self defense weapon is more commonly known as tear gas, yet one of the most popular brands of pepper spray on the market carries this name. Pepper spray is technically non-lethal, so ingesting it will not kill you.

All aerosol products will eventually lose pressure over time. Most pepper sprays last for only two years from their manufacture date. Because all SABRE products use only the best available components and formulation ingredients, all SABRE civilian products have a 4-year shelf life!

California- It is legal to sell, purchase, and legally use tear gas or pepper spray containing up to 2.5 oz of product. Connecticut- State law is not specific about the classification and sale of any defensive aerosol. Anyone can purchase and carry a chemical spray product at the present time.

The MSDS on both usually recommend water. Vaseline/petroleum jelly BEFORE getting pepper sprayed. This will help it run off your skin instead of getting absorbed.

“Wearing an N95 mask helps protect you from both spreading COVID-19 and exposure to tear gas more than surgical or cloth masks do.”

The international community banned the use of chemical and biological weapons after World War 1 and reinforced the ban in 1972 and 1993 by prohibiting their development, stockpiling and transfer. Advances in science and technology raise concerns that restraints on their use may be ignored or eroded.

CS, or o -chlorobenzylidene malononitrile, is the current major riot control agent (RCA) used by U.S. military forces. It was originally synthesized in 1928 by Corson and Stoughton, and the U.S. Army designated the compound ‘CS’ for the authors’ initials.

CS is also used in military settings to test the speed and ability of military personnel to use their gas masks. Because they are liquids or solids (for example, powder), riot control agents such as CN and CS could be released in the air as fine droplets or particles.

Riot control agents work by causing irritation to the area of contact (for example, eyes, skin, nose) within seconds of exposure. The effects of exposure to a riot control agent are usually short-lived (15–30 minutes) after the person has been removed from the source and decontaminated (cleaned off).

Riot control agents (sometimes referred to as “tear gas”) are chemical compounds that temporarily make people unable to function by causing irritation to the eyes, mouth, throat, lungs, and skin. Several different compounds are considered to be riot control agents.