Resources: Tips on pepper spray and tear gas

In the UK, tear gas and pepper spray has not been commonly encountered at protests, although there is always the potential for use in the future, and demonstrators have been widely exposed to tear gas at demonstrations in foreign countries, eg at the anti-G8 demonstrations in Genoa and in Prague as well as the EU summit meeting in Greece. These chemical weapons may also be used by authorities in the forthcoming demonstrations in Scotland for the G8 Summit in July this year. Consequently, it is useful to have some understanding of what they are and how to combat them.

The information here is collated from both medical and scientific reports and from activist sources - particularly the Black Cross Healthcare Collective who have done extensive trials into combatting pepper spray.

It should be remembered that exposure to chemical weapons is not the worst thing that could happen to you. The hype and fear surrounding them is enormous. But in reality, if you are careful and smart you should survive it with little problem.

What is 'tear gas'?

There are several different chemicals used by the cops in order to inflict pain and render people incapacitated, and they can also be used in a few different ways: dispersed in canisters that are often fired from guns behind police lines (most common at large demonstrations) or thrown as grenades, or sprayed by individual officers from canisters (e.g. when trying to attack one individual or sometimes against the front line of demonstrators in big demonstrations).

In fact, none of the chemicals used in 'tear gas' are in gaseous form, so the term is actually a misnomer (CS itself has a boiling point of 310 degrees celsius). Consequently, the chemicals are either released in tiny particles, like very fine sand, or dissolved in alcohols.

Some of the different chemicals that might be encountered:

* CS gas (2-chlorobenzylidene malonitrile)

Named after Corson and Stoughton who discovered it in 1928, this was developed at Porton Down and is the favoured chemical of the police in the United Kingdom who use a 5% (w/v) mixture dissolved in methylisobutyl ketone (MIBK) with a nitrogen propellant - this is equal to 1.5g CS in 30mls MIBK and is about 5 times the strength of the spray used in the United States. The half-life of CS is around 5 seconds in human blood, hence the effects tend not to last very long; however, there is much greater concern about the solvent MIBK and the effects on humans are not really known. The effects of this may not become apparent until 8-12 hours after usage and can cause quite nasty irritation including blistering and burns.

* CN (1-chloroacetophenone) - main constituent of Mace

Much more harmful than CS gas and has been the cause of several deaths. Used much less frequently now.

* OC/Pepper spray (oleoresin capsicum)

The content of this is variable, depending upon the manufacturer and purporse and, to a certain extent, the peppers from which the spray is derived. The active ingredients of pepper spray are fat-soluble compounds (the majority being capseicin) and the overall content of the spray itself is normally between 1 and 15% capseicin, the lower strength products being commercially available to the public in the USA and the higher concentrations being reserved for American law enforcement agencies.

How chemical agents are deployed:

Both CS gas and pepper spray can be sprayed from small hand-held dispensers or large fire-extinguisher size tanks. Pepper spray also comes in plastic projectiles which are fired at the chest to knock the wind out of a person, who then takes a deep breath, of pepper from the burst projectile. CS gas is most commonly deployed via canisters, which are fired into crowds, sometimes directly at people. It's important that you know not to pick up the canisters without gloves as they are extremely hot. Be aware that the time it takes you to throw it will allow you to be heavily exposed.

Effects:

All the chemical agents used by the cops are irritants to all parts of the body they may come in contact with, like the skin and the internal surfaces (such as inside the mouth and the respiratory tract) and the eyes. If you are exposed to any of the agents, you may experience:

• stinging, burning in your eyes, nose, mouth and skin
• excessive tearing, causing your vision to blur
• runny nose
• increased salivation
• coughing and difficulty breathing
• disorientation, confusion and sometimes panic
• intense anger from pepper spray exposure is a common response; this can be useful if you are prepared for it and are able to focus it towards recovery and returning to the action.

The good news is that all this is temporary. Discomfort from tear gas usually disappears after 5-30 minutes, while the worst pepper spray discomfort may take 20 minutes to 2 hours to subside. The effects of both diminish sooner with treatment. Because pepper spray penetrates to the nerve endings, its effects may last for hours after removal from the skin.

There are many myths about treatment and prevention. Much of this misinformation is potentially dangerous. Some of it, if applied, could greatly increase or prolong a person's reaction to exposure, or at the very least provide a false sense of security.

Prevention:

For most healthy people, the effects of tear gas and pepper spray are temporary. However, for some people the effects can be long-lasting and life-threatening.

People with the conditions listed below should be aware of these risks and may want to try and avoid exposure. Please be aware that in intense actions, police behavior can be unpredictable, and avoidance is not always possible.

Conditions:
• People with respiratory diseases, such as asthma, emphysema, etc. risk exacerbation, or permanent damage if exposed.
• Vulnerable people such as infants, the elderly, and the immune compromised, risk intensified and possibly life-threatening responses.
• Anyone with chronic health conditions or those on medications that weaken the immune system, (ie: chemotherapy, Lupus, HIV, radiation, or long-term corticosteroids such as prednisone) risk exacerbation of illness, intensified response and possible delayed recovery.
• Women who are or could be pregnant, or who are trying to get pregnant, may be at risk of spontaneous abortion, or increased risk of birth defects.
• Nursing mothers risk passing toxins on to their infant.
• People with skin conditions (ie: severe acne, psoriasis, or eczema) and eye conditions (ie: conjunctivitis or uveitis) risk an intensified response.
• People wearing contact lenses may experience increased eye irritation and damage due to chemicals being trapped under the lenses.

Practical Advice

Clothing

• Shatter-resistant eye protection (e.g. sunglasses, swim goggles, or gas mask)
• Bandana to cover nose and mouth soaked in water or vinegar, it can aid breathing during chemical exposure.
• Heavy duty gloves if you plan to handle hot tear gas canisters.
• Fresh clothes in plastic bag (in case yours get contaminated by chemical weapons)

What to bring:

• Lots of water in a plastic bottle with squirt or spray top, to drink and to wash your skin and eyes if need be.
• Water or alcohol based sunscreen.
• More water (the usefulness of water cannot be emphasised enough!)

What not to do:

• Don't put Vaseline, mineral oil, oil-based sunscreen or moisturisers on skin as they can trap chemicals.
• Don't wear contact lenses, which can trap irritating chemicals underneath.

Bookmark/Search this post with:

delicious | digg | reddit | newsvine | furl | google | yahoo | technorati